Is marriage something desirable because it is culturally required? Is it a necessary inconvenience for society to perpetuate itself? Is it a convenient association to ameliorate one's economic and social conditions? Is it a necessary evil to combat loneliness? Is marriage something desireble in itself or should it be left to invididual preferences?
36. Marriage is a natural association, not a conventional one.
37. Marriage is good even if marriages are bad.
39. Adultery hurts even if consented.
40. Polygamy is not fair enough.
41. Cohabitation is illogical.
42. Marriage unites two people most.
43. There is no right to divorce.
44. Marriage is the only way to create people well.
45. The marital embrace speaks of marriage.
The venture of marriage has never been an easy one. But today, too many cultural changes prevent us from addresing the issue of marriage adequately.
A nominalistic understanding of reality prevents us from seeing beyond the particular cases of reality, reducing marriages to whatever individual marriages are capable or incapable to accomplish, blinding us to the goodness of marriage in itself.
A dualistic understanding of the human body reduces human fertility to a physical, impersonal commodity that spouses are at the mercy to choose or discard, blinding them to the personal dimension of their bodies and the persons they may procreate.
A indeterministic understanding of freedom leads couples to avoid commitment in fear that they will fail to realize themselves as the unique individuals they are resulting to trial marriages, prenuptial agreements and divorce as security nets that make commitment less threatening. But without commitment, spouses and children are left hanging at the mercy of other people's choices.