Stephen Macedo, “Just Married: Same-Sex Couples, Monogamy, and the Future of Marriage” (Princeton University Press, 2015)
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What philosophical questions does the book “Just Married” raise about the purpose of marriage?
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Welcome to the New Books in Philosophy channel of the New Books Network. My name is Robert Talese. I'm professor of philosophy at Vanderbilt University. I co-host the channel with Carrie Figter. Carrie is associate professor of philosophy at the University of Iowa. Today, my guest is Professor Steven Macedo. His new book is titled Just Married, Same-Sex Couples, Monogamy, and the Future of Marriage. It has just been published by Princeton University Press. Macedo is the Lawrence S. Rockefeller Professor of Politics at Princeton University. Understandably, there has been a lot of talk in the United States recently about marriage equality for same-sex couples. One obvious question is sociological. What are the implications of marriage equality for the long-standing social institution of marriage?
But there are philosophical questions as well. What's the purpose of marriage? What are the goods that marriage helps individuals realize? Once marriage is no longer understood to be restricted to heterosexual couples, must we then question whether it should be restricted to couples? Why not recognize plural marital arrangements? Should there be a civil institution of marriage at all? In Just Married, Stephen Macedo explores a broad range of philosophical, moral, and legal issues pertaining to marriage. He argues that, as a matter of justice, marriage rights must be extended to same-sex couples. But he also argues that marriage as an institution should be restricted to monogamous couples. Along the way, Macedo engages with opponents across the political spectrum, from natural law theorists
who contend that marriage is intrinsically a heterosexual relation, to contemporary feminist philosophers, who argue that we must expand marriage to encompass plural networks of care. Just married makes a philosophically substantive contribution to the ethics and politics of marriage. So let's turn to the interview. Hello, Stephen Macedo. Hello, Bob. How are you doing today? I'm
doing very well, thank you.
Well, thank you for appearing on New Books and Philosophy.
My pleasure.
And thank you, listener, for checking out our podcast. Today, I'm speaking with Stephen Macedo. He has a new book out. Its title is Just Married, Same-Sex Couples, Monogamy, and the Future of Marriage. This is a tightly argued work that works at the intersection of ethics, political theory, law, sociology, and other disciplines. I highly recommend it. It is a quick and engaging read, and I'll confess, totally compelling. And there's been a lot of argument about same-sex marriage of late, and a lot of arguments about the implications of extending marriage rights to same-sex couples. And a lot of talk about what the implications are for the traditional institution of marriage of doing so.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What philosophical questions does the book “Just Married” raise about the purpose of marriage?
0:00–9:01
2
Why does Stephen Macedo argue that marriage rights must be extended to same‑sex couples?
9:01–18:36
3
How do natural‑law theorists defend the claim that marriage is inherently heterosexual?
18:36–31:47
4
What role does public reason play in the debate over marriage equality?
31:47–43:49
5
Why does Macedo defend monogamy and reject plural marital arrangements?
43:49–54:36
6
How does the book explain the class divide in contemporary marriage patterns?
54:36–1:03:57
7
Did the Obergefell Supreme Court decision change any of Macedo’s arguments?
1:03:57–1:06:00
8
What are the main take‑aways and future directions suggested by Macedo at the end of the interview?
1:06:00–1:07:07
Speakers
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