Question What's the moral problem with pornography? As far as I can understand it, it hinges on the concept of 'objectification', which seems to mean treating someone else as a means to your own ends rather than as an end in themselves. But if I go to the corner shop to buy a pint of milk, aren't I treating the guy behind the counter as a means to my own ends (buying a pint of milk) rather than as an end in himself? Does buying milk have the same ethical status as pornography?

Accepted:
November 6, 2005

Comments

You allude to the Kantian view that we should never treat humanityas a means only, but always as an end in itself (see Robert Johnson'sexplanation in the wonderful Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/kant-moral/#8). Kant didn't think that we should never rely on people as means to our ends at all,but just not at the expense of regarding their humanity as an end initself. Slavery is presumably a clear case on one side, and on theother might be a trade wherein both parties aim for mutual (not merelyselfish) benefit. Whether, and in what cases, a user of pornographymight be said to treat the model as an end in herself, is obviouslycomplicated, but these considerations might well be relevant: Is the user aiming at benefitting the model? Is headequately keeping in mind the effects on the model, on himself, and onthe women with whom he will interact, as well as the effects on peoplegenerally of a culture in which pornography is prevalent?

The latter questions obviously point in an empirical direction: what arethe effects of pornography on its models, on its users, and on others?Is it true that pornography use has psychological consequences thatimpact how its users tend to think about women, and how theyintereact with women? See Caroline West's discussion, again in the Stanford Encyclopedia, http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pornography-censorship/#5.1. West's essay also addresses the rather different question of whethercensorship laws might be justified.

But also note that there is a lot of reasonable debate about this, and there are those who defend the moral permissibility of pornography as a form of commercial exchange in which all parties who participate voluntarily benefit. Note also that communities and subcultures vary quite a bit in attitudes towards pornography. One does have to consider the facts at some point: what is the psychological effect of consuming pornography on its consumers; what is the impact of pornography on those who model or act? What is the impact on social values and the treatment of others? There is surprisingly little consensus regarding these data.