Is marriage a necessary sacrifice of individual freedom for the sake of a healthy society & future generation?

Question

Is marriage necessary? Is individual freedom compromised? Is it necessary so that the society would be sane and healthy? Is it necessary to ensure a healthy future generation? Is this why a married person is considered a more responsible, dependable and respectable member of the society?

Answer 1

Yeah, for me marriage is necessary. But i will not call it a sacrifice, but instead, marriage is a sacred vow and a pure joy of two combined people who are trully in love with each other and who will surely make this society and future generation more healthy coz they are happy to find each other in this superficial and lonely world...

Answer 2

Marriage isn't a sacrifice of freedom, it's a sacrifice of the chance for men to spread their genes beyond their ability to care for children and it's a sacrifice of the chance for women to find a richer guy. And you thought you were cynical saying it's a sacrifice of freedom! ;-)

Anyways, marriage is a social contract that (traditionally) signifies you are a grownup, a Somebody in your family (whether you are male or female, it has always been so)... you count, in the sense that you provide for others (traditionally the man) and/or you parent children. Marriage is a big status change because a married person is, generally & traditionally speaking, a *responsible* member of the society. A married person accepts responsibility to/for others, represents a family, and thus should be mature enough to honor a commitment and give of him/herself. That's why married people are subtly senior in social status. It's only a sacrifice if you're not mature enough and not ready, and value some kind of "individual freedom" to hoard your own goods and be sexually promiscuous forever, over social connections.

I don't really think that marrieds are necessarily more responsible, I just think that psychologically we assume they must be, and there is a HUGE social / psychological importance we instinctively attach to parenthood (and getting married is, symbolically, becoming a member of the "parent" generation). Long-term monogamy is, in those cultures where resources are plentiful and monogamy is to the advantage of both sexes, simply the best way to pool resources fairly for the good of the next generation. It's not necessarily the only way to ensure a stable society.

Of course, in the society I live in, all this is purely academic, because resources are so haphazardly and unfairly distributed to begin with...

Answer 3

In the human experience there has been a relationship between a man and woman primarily one of each and lasting until one partner has died. No, this relationship is not necessary for a stable society. One has only look at Islamic nations to see a different form of marriage that has resulted in a stable society.
One may submit that the Native Americans had stable societies with differing forms of adult relationships. I suspect that you might be inferring to the lower insurance, tax rates and other finanical benefits accorded to married folk. If one examines the makeup of US familes, one sees that now the majority are single parent homes. I neither support or am against the traditional marriage. It seems sad to me that many children do not have the male and female parent role model.That being said, one good parent might be better for the child than two bad parents. See the articles linked below.

Answer 4

No...I certainly don't believe that marriage is a necessary institution. But as a person who married...for the first time...at the age of 42, I can tell you that - if its right - is provides greater freedom, confidence and happiness.

When I was a young girl, like others, I dreamed about my wedding. And being married. It was like a badge of honour, I suppose. And it would make me mature, responsible and all those things you mention. As I got older, I saw nothing but unhappiness coming from the marriages of my friends. And it turned me off the whole thing. I didn't want to become a statistic and, as I didn't want children, I didn't see the necessity. When I met my now husband, though, those feelings changed. Living with him wasn't enough...I wanted to be married to him. To take his name. And it has not compromised my individual freedom - in fact, it has given me more.

Answer 5

Marriage has existed in some form or fashion in every society in recorded human history. It is natural to our species. Many feminist texts assert that marriage was created by men as a means of controlling women and offspring, but consider the effort it takes to raise a human child, as opposed to less developed primates. Can a newborn human cling to it's mother's body while she scavenges for food? Can it get up and follow her around, or be left alone for long periods of time? And how long does it take a human to become independant? One year? Maybe two?

Yeah right.

Without the constructs of modern society, human children are highly dependant on their mothers. The child's level of dependance would have made it nearly impossible for a mother to ensure survival for herself and her child without outside help. And that big hairy guy who fathered the child fit the bill.

Now I sound like a chauvanist, but honestly, if we women were as stupid as some feminist texts make us out to be, the human race would have died out long ago. Is marriage necessary? Maybe not for survival nowadays, but if you look at the statistics, children who grow up in a home with their married biological parents are FAR better off than children in any other living situation. Argue all you want--the numbers speak for themselves.

Answer 6

Im sure you will get the "those that sacrifice essential freedoms to obtain security deserve neither" but the problem arrises when you have to decide what "essential freedoms" are. Is the ability to talk on a telephone an essential freedom What about being forced to buy medical insurance if I dont want to both sides are all to willing to give up certain freedoms when they agree with the politics sad really but not surprising. and yes people shouldnt have the right to do anything they want. there has to be limits.

Answer 7

Probably yes, to all of your questions. Society uses marriage as a part of social structure, but it has existed regardless of its mere use to society at large. I think many people find it a a meaningful and pleasant way to live with one another. Otherwise it would not be so prevalent in every culture in every time period. No one has to force people to marry just to ensure that society is upheld. They're going to do it anyway. It's a cause of social structure, not an effect.

Answer 8

I have not married and will never marry. It is merely one more way that priests, kings, etc. control the peasants. Whoever has wife and kids has given hostages to fortune, it is said. As a single man, I can leave a job at once if supervisors are unfair, but if I had a family, I'd not be able to leave until I had another job. I am not religious, so no priest can tell me that he must sanction my relationships with women. Neither priests nor kings rule me through marriage. It is unr33ealistic to make a vbow to stay with someone the rest of your life. My sisters have been married three times apiece. I take vows too seriously to make them thrice in such manner.

Answer 9

Eh. Marriage is all a part of the economy. Married couples are encouraged to produce offspring. The offspring will go to school, probably to college, get a job, pay taxes, and essentially pay more money in general. I don't feel a marriage is neccessary to have a healthy and devoted relationship, it's just the social norm/expectancy.

Answer 10

small,

not if the people see it as a sacrafice of individual freedom.

its supposed to be the union of two people that love one another that want to spend their lives together.

no, i dont belive individual freedom is comprimised.

no, its not necessary, but sweet.
of coarse its necessary to ensure a healthy future generation.

the only reason married people are assumed to be more responsible, dependable and respectable is because they have to worry about the well being of themselves and their family.


hope this answers your uestion