Monogamy vs. Polyamory

Most interesting comparisons between the culture of monogamy and the culture of polyamory over at Touchstone. Here's an excerpt:

The culture of monogamy and the culture of polyamory differ profoundly in their assumptions on the way society functions. Here are some of the differences:

• First and foremost, religion has a very different place in each culture. The culture of monogamy is infused from top to bottom with the sacred, in personal, family, community, and national life. Worship of God is frequent and assumed. The culture of polyamory tends much more to hide religion, even to suppress it in all things public. It worships God less and demands that religion be private.

• The culture of monogamy views freedom as the freedom to be good; the culture of polyamory views freedom as freedom from any constraints upon sexual behavior.

• In the culture of monogamy, insight and intellect, through which comes the knowledge of the good that is to be pursued, are paramount; in the culture of polyamory, the will to do what one likes is paramount.

• The culture of monogamy tends towards belief in objective truth—that reality exists and can be known, while the culture of polyamory tends towards a relativist and ideological understanding of truth—that reality results from an imposition of the will.

• The culture of monogamy tends towards universal moral norms, while the culture of polyamory favors moral relativism.

• The language of virtue sits well with the culture of monogamy but uncomfortably with the culture of polyamory.

• The laws of the culture of monogamy protect by forbidding—outlawing—certain actions. The culture of polyamory protects by prescribing programs and ensuring outcomes.

• Above the floor of the forbidden, the culture of monogamy leaves all goals and actions freely available to everyone. The culture of polyamory, having less of a floor, constantly increases prescriptive and regulatory detail, telling people more and more how they must act.

• The laws of the culture of monogamy are designed to protect one’s capacity to pursue legitimate goods of one’s choice (and they are myriad), but those of the culture of polyamory are designed to guarantee particular outcomes for everyone.