In social science, seduction is the process of deliberately enticing a
person to engage. The word seduction stems from Latin and means literally "to lead astray". As a result, the term
may have a positive or negative connotation. Famous seducers from history or legend include Lilith, Giacomo Casanova and the character Don
Juan.
Seduction, seen negatively, involves temptation and enticement, often sexual in nature, to lead someone astray into a behavioral choice they would not have made if they were not in a state of sexual arousal. Seen positively, seduction is a synonym for the act of charming someone — male or
female — by an appeal to the senses, often with the goal of reducing unfounded fears and leading to their "sexual emancipation". Some sides in contemporary academic debate state that the morality of seduction depends on the
long-term impacts on the individuals concerned, rather than the act itself, and
may not necessarily carry the negative connotations expressed in
dictionary definitions.
