Corporal punishment? – Why BDSM is very different …

Thursday, June 13, 2013

“Corporal punishment?” is part of the series on BDSM and philosophy


Introduction
If you were one of the readers that made it all through the previous blog ‘Against her will’ - congrats by the way - you will be inclined to think that the major difference between corporal punishment and BDSM will be found in the notion of consent. Not a bad guess, but in this blog I argue for a different approach: one that also may have something to say to hardcore masochists, self-maintenance spankers and all kinds of glossy tops alike.


What is Corporal Punishment?
Corporal punishment (CP) is a type of physical punishment that involves the infliction of bodily pain as retribution for an offence made at home, in school or as a result of a sentence by a court of law. I will spare you the lists of methods (flogging, caning, birching, whipping, or strapping) that can be used for corporal punishment or what body parts can be involved (buttock, back, shoulders, thighs, hand and soles of the feet) as this blog is for your information, not for mental foreplay. Mind you!

It was only recently – and on an evolutionary scale everything that happened since we can write is pretty recent – that corporal punishment was outlawed in most EU countries. However, domestic or educational corporal punishment in one form or another is still practised in most countries of the world, even when the total number is declining due to various international campaigns against CP.

For those who see inflicting pain on a sentient being as an act of ‘evil’, this will be a good thing. But even for those, who distinguish between merely inflicting pain and consensual BDSM, the question remains to what extent inflicting pain is indeed morally justifiable?


Reasons for Pain in Corporal Punishment
In general the reason behind getting a CP is to be found in a forbidden, undesirable or illegal action by the offender. No matter if the CP is being administered by an angry parent, a vicious head of school or a cruel executioner, the purpose is to make clear to the one(s) being punished that something they did or said was not okay and needed to be corrected: as such CP intends to involve aspects of adjustment, retribution, deterrence and education. Perhaps we can simply add this together and say that CP and perhaps many other forms of punishment too, is aimed at altering behaviour.

As such all forms of punishment can be seen as a measure by which we define borders, force a change in behaviour and create an awareness of guilt and responsibility on the part of the wrongdoer. The pain, the shame, the disgrace and the humiliation are all forced upon the punished persons(s) and it hurts them. It does likely not respect their freedom, their rights or their bodily integrity and in most of the cases there is no previous consent, nor is this deemed to be necessary. And unless CP is actually beneficial to a society, a person’s mental growth or self perception, any form of CP is nothing but mere violence.


Differences with Kink
As I have said in the introduction, consent is not the distinguishing issue here, even when it does play a role in the relationship as such. Within a BDSM context CP can of course be used to correct an obstinate bottom, change the subs attitude or prevent certain unwanted actions by the slave. As such the punishment can be seen as a form of discipline and is for certain something that falls under the consensual agreement of the partners.

Yet, the purpose of punishment is correction and in my opinion this is the decisive factor: punishment is by the majority of the sufferers not experienced as sexy or pleasurable - nor meant to be as such - but as real and genuine punishment. It is not an act of love, but one of violence; it violates and hurts. The pain may set loose some typical bodily and mental emotions, but that is not the goal. One could even argue that if the one being punished is starting to enjoy it, the dominant partner perhaps better stops and chooses another, more suited punishment; one that is not a reward.

Pain, however, that in general is applied by the top to the bottom partner, is not aimed at changing behaviour, but rather used for encouraging the bottom to do or get what they actually desire and enjoy. For this reason in the Dominion of Lord Cameron to administer or to receive a naughty spanking, a bitter-sweet BDSM-punishment or a sexually helpful humiliation is quite different from CP. There is no need for offensive behaviour, breaking rules or being disobedient. Pain, discipline or limitation is not given out of anger, frustration or feeling offended, but out of freedom of discipline.


Freedom of Discipline
As with any consensual BDSM act, discipline – or punishment, if you wish – is something that is aimed at fulfilling each others needs by respecting the urges and the borders of the other person in a sane and sound context. Freedom to be a Master or to be a pain pig is a privilege that needs to be honoured. The whole context of offence and punishment is in a way foreign to this.

In the Dominion of Lord Cameron – both in the virtual as in the factual realms – the freedom to discipline is an inherent prerogative of any Master, dominant or top. It denotes a right they can execute without asking or without any other reason than feeling in the mood for it. They use that what is offered to them (with the intention of being taken!). In case of an incidental play, this may precisely be the reason to play, but also in a long term kinky relationship, it simply shows the roles of master and slave, top and bottom, dominant and submissive. It is the bare nature of kinks.

Factually, free discipline does need no other context or pretext than just being those persons who we are; both on the giving as on the receiving end; and in this case, we can be at both ends at the same time; as the we trade energy, power, pain and lust.

And all those roles, you ask? All the chains, intimidation, imposing rules, cages, interrogations, all that punishment equipment that we have borrowed from CP: yes, what about that?

Well, that is all show. The costumes, the role-playing, the poses; they are nothing but the requisites on the wicked stages of the Grande Opera of fetish, kink and leather. We like to create the settings that make our heart beat faster and our genitals aroused. We slip in our (predefined) roles and play the villain or the smitten victim with conviction and passion. The pretext is our being present and our consent as free sexual beings.


Freedom to Serve
This is a delicate thing, my dear readers. As serving someone is not an easy act for any of us: it requires courage, perseverance and a lot of self reflection. We have our self-esteem, our dignity and our natural grace. To lay all that down for another person is a matter of great trust, devotion and often love. To help us getting in that state of mind that we actually start behaving as we deep inside crave for, we take our time, we adapt to the pain, we create a sacred space to play in and we make use of symbols and roles.

For an obedient slave that wishes nothing more than pleasing the Master, a set of rules that cannot be kept is only frustrating. Getting punished for being unable to serve properly is no fun at all. It is neither encouraging, nor helpful. Service should not be enforced on servants, but be expected by those who are being served.

The greatest achievement a Master can pride oneself with – if you have to - is not by forcing a servant, a submissive or a lover to being a slut, a pig, a pervert or a whore. It is rather actually letting them be like that by themselves. Laying bare the heart of a serve and love (and humiliate and discipline) them for it, is not only a complement and a great source of joy to those involved, but moreover, it is the acknowledgement of their sexual identity and that of your own: real people being real.


Use your power wise and with certainty – Sir Cameron

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