Butler’s Point of View on Theories of Darwin and Freud
Butler says, “The incest taboo not only forbids sexual union between members of the same kinship line, but involves a taboo against homosexuality as well.” The basic idea in this case is that the forbidden social act (incest) would probably hardly repress dispositions that could be regarded as primary. Incest would rather, in an effective manner create the difference that exists between dispositions that are termed as primary and those that are classified as secondary in a line of legitimate and illegitimate homosexuality. However, the question to ambiguity is why the act is underscored in some countries. The answer to the question is that the taboo has an imposition of exogamy as well as alliance on the biological events that take place during sex as well as during procreation. Incest has an effect of dividing the universe on the choices made concerning sexual matters into various categories that are either allowed or prohibited by various sexual intimacies. When Butler says this, she means that if people conceived of the taboo (incest) as a primary productive act by all the effects it has on individuals as well as to the society, the law that prohibits it consequently becomes the means that constitutes identity.
Butler continues to explain that the prohibitive law is the foundation the subject and therefore it could survive as the law on its own desires, thus making up the main constituent of gender identity. She concludes that all cultures aim at reproducing and thus a need to preserve the social identity among the kinship group. Therefore, so should exogamic heterosexuality. Another question to ambiguity in the conclusion is how incest is related to heterosexuality. This could be answered using Rubin’s explanation that ‘gender is not only an identification with one sex; it also entails that sexual desire be directed toward the other sex’ (Judith, prohibition, psychoanalysis, and the heterosexual matrix, 173). A new question about ambiguity in the last answer is why it is difficult why it is possible for incest to be implicated in the aspect of gender. The answer is that ‘the sexual division of labor is implicated in both aspects of gender, both male and female and therefore it creates them heterosexual. (Judith, prohibition, psychoanalysis, and the heterosexual matrix, 180).
The idea that ‘The incest taboo not only forbids sexual union between members of the same kinship line, but involves a taboo against homosexuality as well’ does not always apply for everyone. In some countries, specifically in the western region of the world, some people have embraced sexual acts such as heterosexuality and incest. I think it is sensible for such countries to allow the practices because they portray the free world in which the citizens are. In this case, people are left to make choices in their lives since democracy rules in their counties. It could be argued that there ought to be no limit of democracy as far as the policies and laws made do not interfere with the lives and freedom of other people. With democracy, citizens are allowed to decide whether the proposed rules and policies that are made by the government and other relevant authorities should pass or not. Passing of the proposed rules and policies is an indication that citizens are very much comfortable with them. In this case, when the governments allow incest and heterosexuality, it means that citizens have passed the rules and policies concerning the acts. However, another person could argue that it is against the religious and the social cultural beliefs to allow incest and heterosexuality. Allowing incest is a violation of the social laws and a failure to recognize the role of sexuality in the society, which is to procreate. Biologically, procreation does not take place when people of the same gender engage in sexual intimacy. Therefore, it is not healthy to engage in heterosexuality. In addition, incest violates the cultural values and customs and thus should also not be allowed.