In today's society we have single-parent
families. We have cohabitation, we have
"serial" marriages, with people marrying,
divorcing, remarrying, perhaps divorcing
again, and so on. Infidelity has also
been in the media recently - Sandra Bullock's
husband being the latest celebrity.

Yet in all Western nations, the law insists
that a many may have only one wife at a time,
and a woman, only one husband. However, this
ideal is held by a minority of the societies
of the world.

My question is - is monogamy natural?
Why or why not?

I wonder how many here on OLO would be happy for their spouses to be having it off with someone else. son.

Monogamy is not natural when we are ruled by our adamic nature. It is very natural when we have love and respect for our spouse and children. Prison is full of people as a result of selfish individuals unable to control their sex life. No doubt the more godless a society is the more cheating, child abuse and selfishness. Many are happy to defend this position mainly due to failure in their own life.

Always an interesting subject Foxy!
However, a discussion on monogamy is sure to bring out the 'all women are sluts unless they are married or celibate, and all children of the nasty,wicked single mothers are criminals' brigade!

Speaking of which- Runner is already off and running!

I am definitely a member of the monogamy camp, as I wouldn't be able to handle my husband having sex with anyone else, to say the least.

I am not really a strong supporter of the need to be married though.
One can practice monogamy in a defacto or gay relationship just as happily.

I believe that monogamy is a natural practice in our modern day society.
Back in the dark ages, women died quite often in childbirth, and children died young from many diseases.
Therefore having several female partners was probably necessary for the males to ensure their genes were carried on to the next generation.

I would imagine there were terrible problems with jealousy even then though! I have read many books about Polygamy, and it seemed to me that the main problems they had were financial and jealousy!

Having affairs is an even worse consideration as far as I am concerned. Then you can add lies, deceit and possible transmission of deadly sexually transmitted diseases to the problems.

Add to all this the upset and sadness caused to children when their parents have affairs and separate, and it is definitely worth being monogamous.

Foxy,
For me it is ....I have a tire easily these days....of responsibility..... for everything that goes wrong.
More wives = more of the above.
Nah pass.

Regards
Examinator ;-)

I think monogamy is a life style choice influenced by social construct.

Is it natural?. Personally don't think so, if it was we wouldn't be talking about it. IMO.

"My question is - is monogamy natural?
Why or why not?"

Good question.

Answer: yes and no. If we put aside all preconceptions, ideology, morality and so on, and look only at the 'field work' - the experience of human beings in general in all places and all times, we find that the general pattern of human sexual and reproductive behaviour is a series of nearly monogamous relationships; serial monogamy with the occasional bit on the side.

Those who marry as virgins and die having had sex only with their spouse are in a minority, in all cultures and all times. So while that kind of perfect monogamy does not appear to be natural, in the sense that most people don't do it, on the other hand, there is definitely a drive for man and woman to pair up in more or less exclusive pair-bonds. In this sense monogamy is more natural than random promiscuity. However casual sex is also natural, as is polygamy.