Ignasi Verche-Arnandis

This article aims to map a contemporary philosophical debate concerning the nature of human sexual desire. Starting from the premise that the purpose of sexual desire informs us about its nature, the discussion reveals a division between two main positions: expansionism (or intentionalism) and reductionism. Expansionists emphasize the relational character and mental complexity of sexual desire’s aim, while reductionists stress its biological basis, opposing sexual desire to phenomena such as interpersonal attraction. Although these positions seem to exhaust the logical space of possible answers, the article argues that a third group of approaches rejects the idea that all sexual desire pursues a single aim. This opens the possibility of accounting for sexual desire in a way that acknowledges the plurality of ends that can be sexually desired.