Yes, we have had a few laughs over Eliot Spitzer's ridiculous behavior, but that leads to a serious question: should prostitution be illegal? I have posted elsewhere that I don't think it should be, and I reiterate that here. The short reason is that each person is sovereign over his/her body and is entitled to do with it as s/he pleases.
A longer version is from Will Wilkinson, whom I find persuasive. An excerpt from his thoughts:
Quote:
Every form of labor involves “selling your body,” one way or another. I see no interesting intrinsic moral distinction between brick- and other forms of laying. There is simply nothing wrong with selling or buying sexual services. There is no bright moral line between a good massage and a really good massage. The entire issue is generated by backward prudishness, a precious, misogynistic attitude toward female sexuality, and run-of-the-mill patriarchal paternalism.
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Yes, some women turn to the sale of sexual services out of a lack of better alternatives. Indeed, some women turn to the sale of lettuce-picking services out of a lack of better alternatives. And bricklayers shouldn’t be permitted to individually negotiate labor contracts because they will be exploited by capital. Show me the difference. Whether orgasm delivery, lettuce picking, or bricklaying is degrading depends on the attitude of the worker toward that kind of work and her ability to sell her services with dignity on her own terms.
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What do
you think?