<p>Many philosophers think that it is better to understand sexual orientation as a dispositional concept. But, if so, what are its relevant conditions and manifestations? In this paper, I provide an important qualification to this question. We should be sensitive to the fact that the manifestation of a disposition can be interfered with. So, when we provide an analysis of our concept of sexual orientation, the analysis should distinguish between cases where the relevant conditions are not satisfied and cases where the relevant conditions are satisfied but the manifestation is interfered with. I then argue that an adequate analysis of our concept of sexual orientation should categorize cases of internal psychological conflict as cases of interference. This last claim is significant in part because it conflicts with a prominent position in the broader dispositions literature that denies the possibility of intrinsic interference.</p>

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Sexual orientation, dispositional interference, and internal psychological conflict

  • Peter Finocchiaro

摘要

Many philosophers think that it is better to understand sexual orientation as a dispositional concept. But, if so, what are its relevant conditions and manifestations? In this paper, I provide an important qualification to this question. We should be sensitive to the fact that the manifestation of a disposition can be interfered with. So, when we provide an analysis of our concept of sexual orientation, the analysis should distinguish between cases where the relevant conditions are not satisfied and cases where the relevant conditions are satisfied but the manifestation is interfered with. I then argue that an adequate analysis of our concept of sexual orientation should categorize cases of internal psychological conflict as cases of interference. This last claim is significant in part because it conflicts with a prominent position in the broader dispositions literature that denies the possibility of intrinsic interference.