Best of 2009

by Jason Stotts

As I was looking back over the essays I’ve written this year for the OBloggers “Best of 2009 Carnival,” I realized that there were a lot of good essays from this year.  I had a really hard time picking out my favorite and so I decided to do my own Top 10 of the year.  The order is somewhat arbitrary, but these are what I consider to be the best 10 essays that I wrote for the blog in 2009.

10. On Marijuana

In this essay I develop the position that while marijuana should be legal, I think it is immoral.  I also analyze the role that religion has placed in the suppression of drugs.

9.  On Bisexuality

In this essay I discuss the nature of bisexuality and argue that bisexuality is much more common than many people believe.  Furthermore, I argue that bisexuality is natural and should not be thought of as a transitional state between heterosexuality and homosexuality.

8. Religion Kills Over Sex Again

This essay analyzes the religious hatred of sex and the harm it does, especially to teenagers as sexting becomes more prevalent.

7. Objectivism, Masculinity, Femininity, and Homosexuality: Initial Thoughts

This essay was adapted from my speech “Objectivism and Sexuality” that I delivered to the Ohio Objectivist Society in July.  I argue that Ayn Rand’s misidentification of the sexual essences (masculinity and femininity) is what led her to condemn homosexuality and that through a proper identification of the essences, we can reconcile homosexuality and Objectivism.

6. Shattered Illusions

This essay one of my favorite and most important essays I wrote last year, mostly because it was the first time I identified the phenomenon that I call “fundamental psychological needs” and their connection to the beliefs that people hold.  I plan on developing this theory in to a more robust version that will likely appear in my book.

5.  My First Nude Beach

This summer I moved to California and had my first chance ever to go to a nude beach.  It was one of the best experiences of my life so far and I can hardly recommend it enough.

4. On Pegging 2: Gender Play

This essay is a follow up to my immensely popular essay “On Pegging” (see below) and deals with the idea of “gender play” through pegging.

3. The Christians Are Burning Witches (Again)

The rise of christianity in Africa, blending with their indigenous mysticism, has led to widespread persecution of witches and other demonic activity.  Yes, in 2009 christians are still burning witches.

2. On Pegging

The most popular essay I’ve written so far, “On Pegging” is a philosophical investigation of pegging (female on male strap-on sex).  In it, I discuss the nature of pegging, the philosophical implications for sexual orientation and the sexual essences, and how to successfully engage in pegging.  If you don’t read any other essays on this list, read this one.

1. What Causes Sexual Attraction

A revised edition of an earlier essay I wrote on the nature of sexual attraction.  This was one of the first essays I attempted in sexual theory and the subject is one of my major interests.  In it, I develop the thesis that it is our value judgments that underlie sexual attraction and that, consequently, we can understand sexual attraction in terms of these antecedent value judgements.  The more robust and fully developed version of this theory is integral to my book and my overall understanding of sexuality.  It is definitely one of my favorite essays that I’ve ever written.

I hope you’ve enjoyed Erosophia in 2009 and I look forward to an even more interesting year in 2010.