Ethics Finder

Marriage / Family

Historically marriage was seen as a natural union of man and woman for the purpose of companionship and the having and rearing of children. Saying it is ‘natural’ means that it is not a socially created institution but is something prior occurring spontaneously in nature, which societies then recognize and give social and legal standing to through conventions and laws. This idea survives in the notion of ‘common law marriage’ which is deemed to exist where a man and woman cohabit and engage in sexual relations even though there has been no ceremony or legal registration of their union. Central to the traditional notion of marriage is that it is the origin and proper route to the creation of a family. That in turn is seen by Aristotle and Aquinas as a natural unit, and the household through the gathering of them into communities and of communities into larger units is seen as the origin and continuing basis of the largest political community, the state. On this view the breakdown of the family will in turn lead to communal and ultimately political disintegration. That risk, and the interest of the state in stability and continuity is seen as being the basis of its involvement in aspects of marriage and family and education. Within Catholicism marriage came to be recognised as a sacrament bringing sanctifying grace to the parties thereby assisting them spiritually in their lives together. Feminist and LGBT critics of marriage and of the family see both as privileging certain relationships, roles and forms of behaviour, and maintaining power relations that disadvantage women, gays and children.

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