Comments on: Part 1: Monogamy is a Patriarchal Myth (& Other Things Your Parents Probably Never Taught You) https://ecosalon.com/part-1-monogamy-is-a-patriarchal-myth-and-other-things-your-parents-probably-never-taught-you/ Sun, 29 Nov 2015 15:51:01 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.25 By: Mark Ramsden https://ecosalon.com/part-1-monogamy-is-a-patriarchal-myth-and-other-things-your-parents-probably-never-taught-you/#comment-47365 Sun, 07 Oct 2012 19:20:41 +0000 http://ecosalon.com/?p=135921#comment-47365 Excellent piece. Hope it helps people feel less guilty, expect it will.
Polyamory a possible solution to fading attraction, although cure sometimes worse than the disease.
Looking forward to part two.

]]> By: Liz Hamill https://ecosalon.com/part-1-monogamy-is-a-patriarchal-myth-and-other-things-your-parents-probably-never-taught-you/#comment-46976 Wed, 03 Oct 2012 22:30:10 +0000 http://ecosalon.com/?p=135921#comment-46976 Romantic love was NOT invented in the 17th century. The Arthurian Romances were first composed by the bards in the High Middle Ages (that is, 1100-1350). These tales, created for the pleasure of wealthy ladies (Eleanor of Aquitaine and her ladies were the most famous of these) of Europe, centered around the concept of romantic love. Almost (but not exclusively) always, romantic love outside of marriage. Nearly every one of the Lays of Marie de France begins with a lady married to a horrible (usually much older) husband, who then falls in love with a knight.

Interesting exception to the adulterous love of Arthurian romances–Arthur himself loved Guinevere. He was devastated when Guinevere betrayed him with Lancelot.

But well before that, evidence of romantic love can be found in the Old Testament. “Thou shalt not commit adultery” is one of the Ten Commandments set down by Moses. So is “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.”

Humans do not, as a rule, create laws to forbid people from doing things we aren’t already doing. Two of the ten commandments make it pretty clear that marriage was FAR from sacrosanct back 4000 or 5000 years ago.

Asian stories, which go back quite a bit further than Western ones, also make it clear that romantic love was a part of life in the East.

That said, I think that human history makes it abundantly and painfully clear that monogamy isn’t our natural state. I just wish that Ms. Weiss would do a bit more in-depth research to support her claims.

]]> By: Mary https://ecosalon.com/part-1-monogamy-is-a-patriarchal-myth-and-other-things-your-parents-probably-never-taught-you/#comment-46816 Tue, 02 Oct 2012 15:56:44 +0000 http://ecosalon.com/?p=135921#comment-46816 Thank you for writing this. Looking forward to the next installment!

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