Polygamy is a concept or practice that is presumed to be on the decline. Nevertheless, despite the practice being illegal in many countries, the debate still ranges on whether it’s morally acceptable in areas where the practice continues to exist. Polygamy (both polyandry and polygyny) refers to the practice of possessing multiple spouses. In some cultures, polygamy is accepted as a norm. In such cultures, the debate on whether polygamy is ethical is futile and is thought to be based on perceptions that are misguided. However, in cultures where the practice is degraded, ethical arguments are usually based on the immorality of the practice. As such, the morality of polygamy is divided among the practice’s application and the culture involved. Nonetheless, this paper will seek to investigate whether polygamy is morally permissible, taking in consideration the above cont
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In many instances, moral arguments of polygamy seem to concentrate on the ills often related to the practice. For example, ills like oppression of women take Centre stage when discussing the morality of polygamy. As such, it is vital to distinguish some ethical boundaries related to the practice and manifestations of the practice. Some manifestations of polygamy like underage brides and forced marriages among others are outright morally impermissible. The morality of polygamy is not feasible in such circumstances where one of the consenting adults in the situation is ignorant of the polygamy. It is ethically wrong for an individual to be lured in polygamy devoid of their true, informed consent. For instance, participating in polygamy, unaware of the multiple spouses involved is a case of uninformed consent. Notably, all these arguments are based on the dynamics o
the manifestations surrounding polygamy, but not polygamy as a practice itself.
Naturally, cheating is considered an immoral act. Many arguments against polygamy consider the act a form of cheating and thus inheriting cheating’s immorality. Nevertheless, it is difficult to correlate polygamy with cheating. In the case of polygamy, the spouses are aware of the dynamics of the relationship. For instance, all the parties involved are aware of each other and are also allowed by the bond of marriage to associate in the practice. Lack of any rights or relationship violations annihilate the concept of cheating in polygamy. When all the spouses in the marriage have knowledge of each other’s existence and are held together through marriage which creates an informed consent, the moral argument for cheating losses pedigree. In essence, it can also be argued that polygamy violates the accepted practice of having a single spouse. Isn’t everyone entitled to a single partner at an instance? It is a question that can be utilized to create loopholes on the morality of polygamy. On the other hand, arguments that indicate that each individual must only have a single spouse are inadmissible. Whether multiple spouses or a single spouse is the morally right approach depends on the culture of the individual. As such, in this context, polygamy is morally permissible depending on the individual’s morals.
Moral arguments on polygamy must consider whether the overall negatives of the practice outweigh the positives. Considering the members involved in the polygamy, we must consider than in majority of the circumstances, some of the spouses will face neglect. Humans’ attention span is sometimes limited to a single item or a single individual. In
light of the informed consent, the acceptance and the willingness to engage in the relationship, polygamy can be exempted of any moral undoing. However, a thorough investigation of all the spouses involved might indicate instances where a particular spouse is not fully satisfied. The purpose of marriage is the intimate association of two individuals for physical and emotional fulfillment. Polygamy creates a situation where a spouse runs the risk of lacking the fulfillments that are associated with marriage with is morally impermissible. Due to the limited attention for some of the spouses, polygamy also has the possibility of creating possible immoral or unethical like hatred, jealousy and even violence among others. All these potential yields of polygamous relationships add to the moral argument against the practice of polygamy.
It is also imperative to consider the circumstances of the polygamous relationships. Some arguments against the morality of polygamy are bred from the overwhelming societal belief that polygyny (where a man marries multiple wives) is the more accepted form of polygamy. Proponents of this argument believe that as long as polygamy is not limited to polygyny, it is morally acceptable. Polygamy should be constructed in a particular manner which allows any gender to marry multiple (consenting) partners without any stigmatization or discrimination. In such circumstances, the proponents insist, the relationship should be devoid of any instances of domestic violence and other domestic adversities. When all the parties involved in the relationship are accepting and fully satisfied emotionally and physically, the relationship is permissible morally. On the other hand, instances of any infringements for a particular spouse should deem the relationship morally impermissible.
In conclusion, polygamy will continue to inspire
debates on its morality stance. However, the morality of any such relationship should be decided by the participating parties and the culture where the relationship is conducted. The acceptability of the individuals determine whether the relationship or morally acceptable or inacceptable.
