The Naturalistic Fallacy and LGBTQI Discourse: A Critical Comparison of the Views of Ned Katz and Ed-ward Stein

Abstract

In discourse on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, queer and intersex forms of sexuality there have been long-standing debates on whether such forms of sexuality may be regarded as “entirely natural†(or as others would argue “abnormalâ€) or whether sexual orientation is mainly the product of the “social construction of realityâ€. The term naturalistic fallacy was introduced by the philoso-pher G. E. Moore, following insights by David Hume. This has led to ongoing philosophical debates on whether or not the naturalistic fallacy may indeed be regarded as a logical “fallacyâ€. In this paper, situated in the sub-discipline of Gender Ethics, I will not seek to resolve such debates. Instead, I will investigate the ways in which scholars contributing to LGBTQI discourse, engage with the relationship between moral judgments on homosexuality and the question whether one‟s sexual orientation is something biologically and psychologically “naturalâ€.