In a world where the overtly sexual novel "Fifty Shades of Grey" can dominate the cultural landscape -- and the best-seller lists -- it seemed likely that others would jump in on this new highbrow sex craze.
Alain de Botton, a prominent Swiss teacher and philosopher who writes about subjects as varied as "status anxiety" and how architecture makes us feel, announced that his newest venture will attempt to pose pornography as less of a societal evil, and more of a benefit.
"No longer would sexuality have to be lumped together with stupidity, brutishness, earnestness and exploitation," he wrote in a press release from The School of Life, a school he helped create in London. "It could instead be harnessed to what is noblest in us." Noblest meaning those moments when people are at their wittiest, "showing kindness, or working hard or being clever."
He hopes to create a website called -- for now -- "Better Porn," which will showcase the finer sides of sexuality, and, presumably, not make people feel as awful about watching porn on their laptops.
De Botton said the pornography on his site will be one in which "sexual desire would be invited to support, rather than permitted to undermine, our higher values." Certainly the ancient Greeks had no qualms about inviting sex into their value systems, de Botton points out, so why should we?
There is no other information about the website available yet, other than the fact that it will soon exist. We imagine there will be a lot of expressionist art and French films on there.
De Botton is, most recently, the author of "Religion for Atheists," and continues to run the celebrated School of Life in London.
What do you think, readers? Do you think it's possible to enjoy porn that appeals to our higher values? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.