Prostitution
- Thread starter glassjester
- Start date
It might be acceptable to permit prostitution if criminalizing it would produce greater social evils.
I don't know how this applies to current historical circumstances.
csuguy
Well-known member
Against. While a well-managed, legalized form is better than shady, illegal prostitution - the fact remains that sex produces children. This is its primary function. Contraceptives and pills may reduce the probability of having a child - but ultimately they only work so well. Now what does the mother do? She can't exactly go and marry whoever is the father. She likely doesn't even remember them. And a child isn't generally going to be good for such business. There is a good chance she will thus seek an abortion. Even if she keeps the child - the child grows up in a broken household with a lot of strange men coming over all the time for their mother.
Also - socially accepting prostitution as a valid career will inevitably push women (and men) into that line of work who don't desire to, but need money. "You want welfare because you can't find a well-paying job? But you are pretty - you could make money as a prostitute instead! Therefore your application is denied - get to work."
Also - socially accepting prostitution as a valid career will inevitably push women (and men) into that line of work who don't desire to, but need money. "You want welfare because you can't find a well-paying job? But you are pretty - you could make money as a prostitute instead! Therefore your application is denied - get to work."
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So being a pimp is ok if you're employed by the government?
The administration of justice.
csuguy
Well-known member
... you should learn to read the ENTIRE post before replying. I'm not promoting legal prostitution.
As for why a legal, managed form of prostitution maybe better: you can have legal licenses and policies. For example: to be legal, a prostitute would need to have regular check-ups for STDs. This is a benefit over shady illegal prostitutes. But it still fails to address other important issues like I noted in my post.
Perhaps the men who want to be clients should have to be licensed. They should have to have regular checkups for STDs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by aCultureWarrior
What's the role of government Trad?
I'm glad that you've brought morals into the debate.
justice:
the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness:
Whose morals? God's or secular humanist mans'?
Originally Posted by aCultureWarrior
What's the role of government Trad?
I'm glad that you've brought morals into the debate.
justice:
the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness:
Whose morals? God's or secular humanist mans'?
I read the entire post. You went on some rant about birth control, abortion, yada yada yada. Who cares? (in unison everyone) : "What consenting adults do in private is no one else's business."
Ahhhhh, I just love playing the role of a godless Libertarian.
i.e. government officials would become pimps.
csuguy
Well-known member
The term "prostitute" can apply to a man or woman. But yes - in a legal version of prostitution the client - man or woman - may also be expected to go through such tests before they can employ the services of a prostitute. So there are some advantages to legalizing the process - but it hardly addresses all issues.
By "justice," I understand that virtue whereby each is given according to his due. This may also be understood as "proportional equality."
The ultimate aim of the State is to lead men to natural virtue (i.e., that human goodness attainable by our own striving) and imperfect happiness (the life of virtue which is attainable by our own striving); this in turn is supposed to be an indirect and instrumental means of attaining perfect happiness (i.e., Heaven), i.e., by removing various obstacles which would prevent us from "getting there" (i.e., the vices).
In principle, prostitution can and should be criminalized.
That said, it could well be the case that the criminalization of prostitution actually leads men to break out into worse forms of vice.
In that case, it's better to permit prostitution, not so much that prostitution might be encouraged, but to prevent people from becoming even more vicious in other ways.
It's a case of: "If we don't let them do y, they are going to do x, and x is worse than y."
Note, of course, that this is all very abstract. I am not speaking of what course of action should be taken for any concrete political society.
You have been reading too much ancient philosophy- and take it far too seriously.
Against it. Duh. It is immoral and women don't need it to survive like they did when Moses granted a certificate of divorce so she could remarry.
Quote: Originally posted by aCultureWarrior
I'm glad that you've brought morals into the debate.
justice:
the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness:
Whose morals? God's or secular humanist mans'?
virtue: moral excellence; goodness; righteousness.
It sounds like you're saying that God's moral code should be legislated instead of men's.
How about we throw reality in with principle and show all of the harm that prostitution not only brings to the women/children that are more than often forced to partake in it, but the harm that it does to society as a whole?
Ah yes: If you have laws against murder, it only wants to make people go out and murder.
If you have laws against theft, it only makes people want to go out and steal.
If you have laws against rape, it only makes people want to go out and rape.
Uh huh.
Instead of beating around the proverbial bush why don't you just use the standard Libertarian lie that most moral relativists use that says "What consenting parties do is their own business"?
I'm glad that you've brought morals into the debate.
justice:
the quality of being just; righteousness, equitableness, or moral rightness:
Whose morals? God's or secular humanist mans'?
virtue: moral excellence; goodness; righteousness.
It sounds like you're saying that God's moral code should be legislated instead of men's.
How about we throw reality in with principle and show all of the harm that prostitution not only brings to the women/children that are more than often forced to partake in it, but the harm that it does to society as a whole?
Ah yes: If you have laws against murder, it only wants to make people go out and murder.
If you have laws against theft, it only makes people want to go out and steal.
If you have laws against rape, it only makes people want to go out and rape.
Uh huh.
Instead of beating around the proverbial bush why don't you just use the standard Libertarian lie that most moral relativists use that says "What consenting parties do is their own business"?
glassjester
Well-known member
I don't think it should be legalized.
I do not think prostitution is a good thing.
But... I'm interested in what secular case can be made against prostitution. It seems that, in our current cultural climate, the issue is bound to find its way to the supreme court, leading to its nation-wide legalization.
How might the opposition make the case against it?
ok doser
lifeguard at the cement pond
glassjester
Well-known member
Having heroin is illegal. So selling heroin is illegal.
But having sex isn't illegal. So why is selling sex illegal?
ok doser
lifeguard at the cement pond
an interesting question
with two sexual partners - who is providing the service to whom?
glassjester
Well-known member
Ideally, both. It should be an act of giving of oneself. It should be exclusive, and between committed (married) people.
That's my belief, and probably yours. But not our government's.
In a society that accepts and even promotes adultery and promiscuity, how can we argue against prostitution?