ABSTRACT
The exploration of philosophical issues related to homo sexuality, particularly as regards the metaphysic of love, began in ancient Greece, when most leading thinkers were either bisexual or homosexual (see III.C). In the many renascences of Greek thought, however, this aspect has been occulted or neglected altogether. In the 20th century, philosophy-especially in English speaking countries-adopted an austere credo known as the analytic philosophy, which discouraged the exploration of social and ethical questions. Recently, however, philosophers have begun to concern themselves with "mortal issues” affecting people’s lives, such as abortion, the handi capped, and sexuality. The women’s movement has also made an appreciable impact; for this, see also ”Lesbian-Feminist Theory,” II.B. Some ethical aspects are discussed in the following sections on ’’Religion,” VII.Bff. More over, as in every other field of human endeavor, there is the question of which philosophers were homosexual, and how their orientation may have affected their thought.
