I do think there is a difference between prostitution and lettuce-picking, but I have to go on fuzzy psychological (or cultural) ground here, and say that having to sell sex as a service makes it far more difficult to have personal relationships that include sex. Maybe in a society with different norms this wouldn’t be true, but here and now a prostitute has to forgo a (nearly) universal part of a complete human life. That’s not true of other workers, even those who work for long hours and low pay.

(I apologize if I’ve misunderstood your argument, but here goes.) You argue that our normative cultural dynamics make it virtually impossible for a prostitute to have a health intimate life. Pardon the Godwin’s Law corollary, but analogous arguments have historically been made against mixed-race marriages. The argument that it should be illegal because it would be too socially hard on them as well as on the children that would result from such a marriage are just as invalid as those arguing that a women should be jailed for taking a profession that will cause her social harm.

I do think there is a difference between prostitution and lettuce-picking, but I have to go on fuzzy psychological (or cultural) ground here, and say that having to sell sex as a service makes it far more difficult to have personal relationships that include sex. Maybe in a society with different norms this wouldn’t be true, but here and now a prostitute has to forgo a (nearly) universal part of a complete human life. That’s not true of other workers, even those who work for long hours and low pay.

(I apologize if I’ve misunderstood your argument, but here goes.) You argue that our normative cultural dynamics make it virtually impossible for a prostitute to have a health intimate life. Pardon the Godwin’s Law corollary, but analogous arguments have historically been made against mixed-race marriages. The argument that it should be illegal because it would be too socially hard on them as well as on the children that would result from such a marriage are just as invalid as those arguing that a women should be jailed for taking a profession that will cause her social harm.

I really do see where you’re coming from in all of this. One of the themes in Predictably Irrational (reviewed on this blog earlier) is that once an activity that was regulated by social capital becomes overtly commercial, the expectations change completely. One we as a society go around then bend, we won’t be able to just come back. There are a lot of considerations that should be made before action was taken.

Regarding voting, I would say that you don’t “own” your vote, in the sense that it illegal to sell (the same way you don’t seem to be able to properly say you own your body). Your vote is protected, because you are entitled to solely determmine it (kind’ve of like your body, to a certain extent, with some very important exceptions), but while it’s protected, you don’t have full control over it. But you can be persuaded by things that benefit you indirectly.

Aaron

I really do see where you’re coming from in all of this. One of the themes in Predictably Irrational (reviewed on this blog earlier) is that once an activity that was regulated by social capital becomes overtly commercial, the expectations change completely. One we as a society go around then bend, we won’t be able to just come back. There are a lot of considerations that should be made before action was taken.

Regarding voting, I would say that you don’t “own” your vote, in the sense that it illegal to sell (the same way you don’t seem to be able to properly say you own your body). Your vote is protected, because you are entitled to solely determmine it (kind’ve of like your body, to a certain extent, with some very important exceptions), but while it’s protected, you don’t have full control over it. But you can be persuaded by things that benefit you indirectly.

Aaron

I hope I’m not petty to argue in terms of aesthetic taste here, Jacob, but you remind me of those people who hate air conditioning. Why do so many people romanticize the deprivations of our ancestors, like sweltering indoor heat and unreliable contraception?

I hope I’m not petty to argue in terms of aesthetic taste here, Jacob, but you remind me of those people who hate air conditioning. Why do so many people romanticize the deprivations of our ancestors, like sweltering indoor heat and unreliable contraception?

Thanks for the reply. I hadn’t intended my comment to be aimed at endorsing illegalization. I probably agree with most here that government prohibitions on sexual activity are not a good choice. Mostly, I was responding to the way certain activities are justified such as Will’s comment – “I don’t think prostitution is nice. I think it is work — often hard, emotionally exhausting work that is usually undesirable when there are other equally well-paying options. But I don’t think this is special, or unusual.” A societal order is not only what the government imposes but what society imposes. I am more concerned with the latter.
In addition, I’m not sure how anyone who has had sex can say that it is not intrinsically different than picking lettuce. Sex is by definition an act that requires another person; it is something that joins them together, both physically and emotionally. And this is not like working with a co-worker. Just because someone CAN treat it as such does not mean that it SHOULD be. Experience should make this plainly obvious.
One more anachronism – sex and reproduction. I suppose there is no such relationship when sex has been reduced to a commodity. Child birth must be treated as some sort of accidental byproduct that happens occasionally and interrupts the flow of work, something like a paperjam.