Prostitution & Porn Legality/Morality?

Which is moral/immoral? (assuming free choice / non-coercion)


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I voted moral, but I really mean amoral. I wouldn't want my hypothetical future daughter becoming a prostitute or porn star, but then I wouldn't want her to become a dustbin-man or an evangelical Christian either.
 
I'm assuming that "moral" means "not immoral" for purposes of the poll.
Yeah, moral covers that. Brushing your teeth is amoral (well it's nice for your lover/coworkers) but for the purposes of a poll this is it would be moral (whereas not brushing would be immoral :D).
 
I voted moral, but I really mean amoral. I wouldn't want my hypothetical future daughter becoming a prostitute or porn star, but then I wouldn't want her to become a dustbin-man or an evangelical Christian either.
If my daughter wanted to make money in erotica/porn when she turns 18 that's fine with me (as long as she ran/directed her own thing & didn't participate in any misogynistic / male-dominate centered porn [so not 99% of it]). Definitely wouldn't want her becoming an escort though. I don't think my daughter could end up as an evangelical Christian unless she suffers traumatic brain injury or is kidnapped in the next couple of years by some.

No, I try to use slurs when I find them particularly ridiculous. It just jives better with me than Traitorfish's angle.
Oh ok like biatch or honky?
 
pimping and living off prostitues should be illegal...

I rather like what I hear is how its handled in Israel; there is no law against prostitution, but pimping and especially human trafficking are Capital Offenses.
 
If it's any help, one of the reasons I avoid such terms is the particularly misogynistic flavour that they gain when used by men. It's harder to use such terms ironically when you're part of the class that has historically used them as a tool of oppression; it puts one in mind of a Southern white attempting to "ironically" whip African-Americans.

I totally understand that. There are slurs I won't touch because I can't make my intentions obvious enough. And like I said before, I like the approach you do take, it's just not the approach for me. :)

Oh ok like biatch or honky?

No, like words I don't want to get infracted for using... though I use some here sometimes. Like words South Park reassigns to motorcycle riders and the four letter word generally regarded as most vulgar in the US.
 
Putting aside instances where people are forced into either trade (think free-choice among consenting adults) what do you think of both trades (in terms of right/wrong / moral/immoral)? Explain why you think so.

Note : If you prefer think about this from a 1st world perspective (since it's a stickier subject in the 3rd world where people may be virtually forced into these trades by economic necessity)

If there's legal consent from everyone involved and there is no ear humping going on, I don't see how it could be immoral.
 
If there's legal consent from everyone involved and there is no ear humping going on, I don't see how it could be immoral.

If its legal consent, why does money have to change hands?

Sounds more like 'rape for dollars' to me, and as such, immoral in pretty much every aspect.
 
If its legal consent, why does money have to change hands?

Sounds more like 'rape for dollars' to me, and as such, immoral in pretty much every aspect.
It's okay, because I pay in goats.
 
If its legal consent, why does money have to change hands?

Sounds more like 'rape for dollars' to me, and as such, immoral in pretty much every aspect.
That's not what "consent" means; it means that all parties are opting to participate in the activity, entirely of their own free will, and are legitimately considered able to do so (which is why sex with children, drunk people, the severely mentally disabled, etc. is considered rape, whether or not consent was expressed). It doesn't mean that the act was done for the sake of the act itself; if that was the case, all employment would be volunteer work or slavery.
By denying legitimately consenting individuals the right to engage in sexual intercourse, regardless of whether it is conditional on either part ("wear a condom" is a condition, after all) denies them individual agency, and can only be considered oppressive.
 
Ok, since most people are of the opinion that looking at porn is moral/amoral, does that mean all of y'all would be okay with you're 11 year old son watching it?
 
That's not what "consent" means; it means that all parties are opting to participate in the activity, entirely of their own free will, and are legitimately considered able to do so (which is why sex with children, drunk people, the severely mentally disabled, etc. is considered rape, whether or not consent was expressed). It doesn't mean that the act was done for the sake of the act itself; if that was the case, all employment would be volunteer work or slavery.
By denying legitimately consenting individuals the right to engage in sexual intercourse, regardless of whether it is conditional on either part ("wear a condom" is a condition, after all) denies them individual agency, and can only be considered oppressive.

You do understand that many prostitutes are coerced or forced into prostitution? And feel they must comply because they have no other choice or way out of it?

Would you say someone in that predicament is giving consent?
 
That why he said non-coercive.
While I dislike it on moral grounds, as long as it is non-coercive I have no legitimate reason to oppose it.
 
I think that makes very particular assumptions about the nature of sex work, which, while not unreasonable in reference to the industry as is found in most of the world, does not necessarily represent the innate nature of such occupations. It seems rooted, I would suggest, in a traditional understanding of sexuality- particularly female sexuality; tellingly, you only reference female prostitutes, which, while certainly the majority, hardly represent the entirety of sex workers- which I would not hold to be a particular useful guide to any essential or invariable human attitudes towards sex and sexuality, at the very least not to the point where I would begin prescribing social mores or legislation off the back of it.
Oh even though I think that most prostitutes will suffer psychological damage from their profession, I am not in favor of legislating this opinion. I agree with you that I can not really know if prostitution is inherently "bad" or of it is in the end just me being brainwashed by my society and this profession being conditioned to be bad by society.
I'm also not sure about this "complex person" stuff; I, for example, am employed stacking shelves, a job which, 90% of the time, demands little more of me than the ability to move boxes of onions around without either dropping them or falling over. There is no recognition of me as a "complex person", no appreciation of me as an individual, just labour, and a pay-cheque.
To the supermarket which employs me, I am little more than a "chunk of meat"; that they are interested in my ability to lift vegetables rather than to perform erotic services doesn't exactly change that relationship, again suggesting that you only consider it exceptional in his case because sex is involved, and that this necessarily renders it drastically more demeaning or psychologically damaging.
A fair conclusion. Though considering all the hormones, instincts and suff involved in sexuality, it seems that the business of sexuality deserves special attention. I could now jabber about how women are programmed by evolution to not be screwed by half of the village, or how they are programmed to find security in sexuality and how prostitution is pretty much the opposite, but I know that you won't accept it as prove for the evil of prostitution, and prove it probably isn't. So I save it ;)

I'll find the assumption that prostitution could be one of the more fulfilling jobs still certainly more far-fetched than that it is harmful though . :p

Remember, human beings are different. How you relate to sex is not representative of how others relate to sex, so it's unwise to assume such absolutes. Sex work would probably be ill-advised for some individuals, I'm quite sure, but air traffic control work would be equally ill-advised for others; what's important is allowing people, through withdrawal of social prejudices and the provision of proper information, to make intelligent choices about this sort of thing.
Well of course I spoke in terms of tendencies and likeliness. I am certain that it is theoretically possible to find true fulfillment in prostitution. That just doesn't say much if it is 1000 times more likely to f**** yourself up.
That, I would suggest, depends entirely on the quality of prostitute which you are willing to pay for. ;)
Come one, what are they gonna do? Grow themselves two tongues? Sure they is a variety of skill, but none most couldn't easily learn if willing an practicing.
And if it wasn't for their endeavour, we'd have pooh all down our toilets and piss all up our walls. I, for one, am not in the habit of disparaging such noble and necessary work. :p
Sweet. Naive, but sweet. ;)
Just to make it clear, I will state that I am attempting to contest the cultural tendency towards drastic marginalisation of sex workers, not to act as an apologist for the contemporary sex industry, which, I will more than readily acknowledge, is deeply flawed. I simply suggest that the conditions endured by contemporary sex workers are not innate to sex work, any more than the conditions endured by medieval serfs were innate to agriculture.
Sure, I know.
 
Ok, since most people are of the opinion that looking at porn is moral/amoral, does that mean all of y'all would be okay with you're 11 year old son watching it?
I wouldn't condemn it. But I would be concerned and talk with him about (even though I am not sure about what exactly :lol:), as it just seems a little early.
14 for instances would be fine, though I would still talk with him about it.
 
You do understand that many prostitutes are coerced or forced into prostitution? And feel they must comply because they have no other choice or way out of it?

Would you say someone in that predicament is giving consent?

Of course they have a choice. They can do it, or they can starve and die. By that definition, the majority of the population is being raped.
 
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