Sex Robots: Social Impact and the Future of Human Relations

Ruiping Fan · Mark J. Cherry

Nov 2021 · Philosophical Studies in Contemporary Culture Book 28 · Springer Nature

About this ebook

This book provides cross-cultural ethical exploration of sex robots and their social impact. What are the implications of sex robots and related technological innovations for society and culture? How should we evaluate the significance of sexual relations with robots that look like women, men or children? Critics argue that sex robots present a clear risk to real persons and a social degradation that will increase sexual violence, objectify women, encourage pedophilia, reinforce negative body images, increase forms of sexual dysfunction, and pass on sexually transmitted disease. Proponents judge robotic sexual companionship as just another step in the exploration of human desire. They see sex robots, and similar technology, such as virtual reality pornography, as providing autonomy affirming companionship for the lonely and a relatively harmless outlet for sexual fantasies that avoids the use of human prostitutes and thus reduces sexual victimization. Some appreciate sex robots as a social evil, others as a positive good, and still others as a harmless pastime. How we come to terms with such conceptual and moral concerns will have significant implications for society and the future of human relations. This book is of great interest to researchers in bioethics, human sexual behavior, AI ethics, and philosophy of sex.

About the author

Ruiping FAN received his medical degree from Baotou College of Medicine in Inner Mongolia and PhD in philosophy from Rice University in Houston. He is currently a professor of philosophy at the City University of Hong Kong. He also serves as Co-Editor of the International Journal of Chinese & Comparative Philosophy of Medicine (Hong Kong), Associate Editor of The Journal of Medicine & Philosophy (USA) and Chinese Medical Ethics (mainland China). His research focuses on bioethics as well as Confucianism and comparative philosophy. He has published over 170 journal articles and book chapters (over 90 in English and 80 in Chinese). Among his two monographs and ten edited/co-edited volumes is Reconstructionist Confucianism: Rethinking Morality after the West via Springer in 2010.

Mark J. Cherry is the Dr. Patricia A. Hayes Professor in Applied Ethics and Professor of Philosophy at St. Edward’s University, Austin, Texas. He earned his undergraduate degree in philosophy from the University of Houston and his doctorate degree in philosophy from Rice University in Houston, Texas. His research compasses ethics and bioethics, together with social and political philosophy. He is author of Kidney for Sale by Owner: Human Organs, Transplantation, and the Market (Georgetown University Press, 2005; 2015) and Sex, Family, and the Culture Wars (Routledge, 2016). He is Editor of The Journal of Medicine and Philosophy (Oxford University Press), Senior Editor of Christian Bioethics (Oxford University Press), and Editor-in-Chief of HealthCare Ethics Committee Forum (Springer); he is Co-editor of the book series The Annals of Bioethics (Routledge) and Editor of the book series Philosophical Studies in Contemporary Culture (Springer)