The Unnaturalness of Nature Continued

Jolie, I'd like to follow up to your post on the "Slippery Nature" of Nature. I completely agree. After reading the essay "Intellectual Change: Men, Beasts, and Nature" I immediately thought of Nature in Alan of Lille's text. The essay states: "And voluntary virginity, which Aquinas and others considered the crowning Christian virtue . . . so clearly operated to the determent of the species in this regard that he very specifically argued in its defense that individual humans are not obliged to contribute to the increase or preservation of the species through procreation; it is only the race as a whole which is obligated" (p.322). This statement holds in itself many contradictions when applied to Lille's text.

The quotation above is a comparison of homosexuality, nocturnal emissions, and virginity. All three, the author is arguing are detrimental to the Medieval belief that one has a moral responsibility to contribute to one's nature, engage in intercourse, and further the population. However, in Medieval society, the virgin was highly valued. Thus, theologians such as Aquinas invented the idea that the continuation of the species was not to be left up to the individual but the entire society.

If an individual is not "obligated" to contribute to the process of reproduction than obviously they cannot be punished by Nature. Homosexuals are being falsely punished by Nature. They have in a sense done nothing wrong according to Christian theologians. As individual's they are not harming the continuation of the population. If society is functioning and successfully reproducing, than what harm is the homosexual doing? None.

Moreover, who and what does "race as a whole" include? Only men? This also seems contradictory. How can men be the only contributors? What about women?

Moreover, we learn that Nature is a virgin. As a woman who's main objective is to continue and aid in the process of reproduction, doesn't this seem a bit ironic? As the quotation above mentions, the virgin was an irony in herself in the Medieval world. In a culture that highly values the union of a man and woman to continue the population, doesn't the virgin go against these ideals? Thus, Nature is acting against her nature, acting against society. As a woman, Nature should be engaging in the process, as it is only natural. As a virgin, Nature is not acting natural.