A REVIEW OF “THE PERSON AND THE SEXUAL URGE” IN JOHN PAUL II’S LOVE AND RESPONSIBILITY

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A REVIEW OF “THE PERSON AND THE SEXUAL URGE”                             IN JOHN PAUL II’S LOVE AND RESPONSIBILITY

2.1                           INTERPRETATION OF THE SEXUAL URGE
2.1.3    The Sexual Urge and Existence 
The concept of ‘sexual urge’ put simply, refers to ‘a strong desire for sex’[1]. However, sexual urge in this work is discussed in connection to and within the context of human existence, on which depends the existence of the whole species (Homo).[2] This therefore, implies that without sexual urge the species (Homo) will go into extinction, because human kind can be maintained in being, only so long as individual people, individual men and women, human couples, obey sexual urge. This urge he says furnishes what we may call the material for love between persons, between a man and a woman. Hence, without it we cannot speak of the act of procreation and preservation of the species (Homo) man. Nevertheless, he pointed out that, although there may be affection between people who are not sexually attracted to each other, nevertheless the proper end of the urge, the end per se, is something supra-personal, the existence and the prolongation of the species (Homo) man.
However, he observed that the human species is not a being in isolation. The species (Homo) is a part of nature, and the sexual urge operates within the species to ensure his existence. As such, since it is a given that existence is the first basic good for every creature, hence, it follows that the existence of the human species is the first basic good for man, and that all other goods are derived or depends on it. In other words, we must exist first and only then we can become anything else, a genius, a saint and so on, and the natural route by which human beings begin to exist passes through the sexual urge.
Furthermore, he argued that ‘existence’ itself is proper to philosophy because, unlike natural sciences which merely take existence for granted, philosophy concern itself with the problem of existence. This, he says, is very important when we are trying to determine the true importance of sexual urge which is obviously implied in the realms of sexual morality. Hence , he avers that it would be untrue to assert that sexual urge has a purely biological significant because if we assent to that then by implication, sexual urge would be regarded as something to be used, an object to be enjoyed like any other object in nature. But sexual urge, he says, has an existential character since it is bound up with the very existence of the human person. However, he maintained that, although sexual urge is for man to use, it must never be used in the absence of, or worse still, in a way which contradicts, love for the person.[3] Hence, he concluded that what give sexual urge it objective importance and meaning is that it is linked with the very existence of man and his prolongation.[4]
2.1      Types of Interpretation
2.2.1    The Religious Interpretation
Only in the religious interpretation are both persons involved in the expression of the drive considered as ends in themselves and not reduced to mere tools to be used as the means to an end such as procreation or sexual gratification. Two persons come together out of love for each other, to express and enjoy their mutual complementarity, giving the gift of self to the other and thus, together participate in the sexual drive, strengthening the bond of their relationship and being open to fecundity, the gift of life. Husband and wife enter into the ongoing creation that God has been providentially directing since the opening verses of Genesis.[5] This not only gives the sexual drive a deeply religious meaning, but since God gave the sexual drive for the continuation of the human species and since humans do not have the reason and source of their being in themselves but have it from God through their parents the sexual drive also has an existential value for humankind. Man and woman enter into the marital embrace as equals, both of them having rationally chosen to do so and each of them actively giving themselves freely and totally while also actively receiving the gift of the other. The one flesh union has as its object the purpose of procreation, but it also strengthens the bond of love between husband and wife by the representation of the marital promises. When the union is blessed with the creation of a new person, the parents should be prepared to receive their child and to lovingly nurture it to spiritual maturity. Thus, married couples become co-creators with God not only in the physical sense, but by the gift of God's grace also participate in the spiritual, moral and supernatural spheres of existence.[6]
2.2.2    The Rigorist and Libidinistic Interpretations
The presuppositions of the rigoristic and libidinistic interpretations are both utilitarian and focus on the material, animal portion of the drive. They diverge from this common root; while the rigorist seeks to cage and tame its animal pleasure, the libidinist seeks to free and revel in that same pleasure. For the rigorist the drive serves only to lead to procreation and through the drive God uses the couple as the means to that end as do both persons involved. However, for the libidinist, procreation is merely an accidental side effect as the only significant end is the gratification derived from sexual contact and reduces the sexual partner to being merely a toy.[7]
The sexual drive is a great gift from God to humankind and for it to be properly understood, one needs to consider the composition of the human being as well as the various ends for which God created humankind and the best ways to reach those ends. Human beings are a unity of spirit and matter. God created humans to be social, moral and sexual beings. Thus, the drive and all other material aspects of human existence, being goods in themselves, are to be subordinated to the intellect. The drive is meant to draw individuals of the opposite sex into monogamous relationships called marriage and being fruitful, raise children in a family that reflects the shape of the Trinity and to cooperate in God's continuing creation. The delight derived from the exercise of the drive is not meant for the objectification and use of others, or to be resisted as a necessary evil, or even to be reveled in as the greatest good for humankind. It is one aspect of the material nature of humankind and meant to work as part of the integral being in harmony with someone of the opposite sex for procreation, strengthening of the marital bond and a profound expression of love entered into in as a mutual embrace.[8]

[1] Online Dictionary.
[2] Cf. Karol Wojtyla, Love and Responsibility, p. 51
[3] Karol Wojtyla, Love and Responsibility, p. 52.
[4] Karol Wojtyla, Love and Responsibility , p. 52
[5] Karol Wojtyla, Love and Responsibility , p. 54
[6] Karol Wojtyla, Love and Responsibility , p. 54
[7] Karol Wojtyla, Love and Responsibility , p. 55
[8] Karol Wojtyla, Love and Responsibility , p. 56

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