인종적 선호와 성적 욕망

Abstract

This paper examines whether sexual preferences for particular racial groups—for example, the phenomenon often referred to as “yellow fever” —can be morally problematic, even against the common assumption that sexual desire seems generally morally neutral. Although such racialized sexual desires may initially appear to fall within the domain of private individual choice, they raise ethical concerns insofar as they are connected to and capable of reproducing entrenched racial hierarchies within society. This article evaluates the intuitive moral criticism of racialized sexual preference through three ethical frameworks: liberal sexual ethics, virtue ethics, and socio-structural approaches. First, I show that the liberal approach, which emphasizes individual freedom and personal autonomy, suggests that racialized sexual preferences are, in principle, difficult to treat as objects of moral blame. The paper then examines whether virtue ethics offers resources for criticizing racialized desire, arguing that this approach also encounters significant challenges, especially regarding higher-order attitudes toward one’s sexual desires. In contrast, finally, a socially and structurally sensitive approach highlights how racialized sexual desire can reproduce the cultural norms of racism and white supremacy, thereby providing grounds for a justified critique. The paper concludes that while the moral evaluation of racialized sexual desire is difficult to sustain when confined to the level of individual freedom and personal choice, such desires can plausibly be criticized at the structural level, where they contribute to the reproduction of racial hierarchy.