Is pornography immoral?

I have several examples. For one, we could ask about whether or not morality exists when divorced from human life i.e. are there objective moral truths or is morality subjective? Assuming the former, we could ask whether moral truths are determined via consequentialism (like a utilitarian calculus), via universal deontological principles (like 'lying is always wrong'), or via virtue ethics. We can discuss these matters without assuming a particular context for them to take place in.

In this case, you're saying that the function of a thing is not the same as that thing's purpose. If you believe that the purpose of a living thing is to survive, but that it might not function that way, then how did you determine that its purpose was to survive in the first place?

 

I think that's a really interesting question, and I don't think the answer is obvious. If you believe in virtue ethics, then yes, his actions could be considered moral or immoral. One can exhibit certain virtues (such as strength, courage, patience, etc.) without being an active member of society. I'm not implying that virtue ethics is the correct analysis of morality, but my point is that there are some interpretations of morality that do not require the context of a society to make sense. Perhaps you believe the fact that virtue ethics is consistent without the context of a society is an argument for rejecting virtue ethics as a proper analysis for morality, and I can understand that position, but my point is just that there are useful interpretations of morality (whether they're valid or not) under which we can describe this artificial man's actions as moral or immoral, and we can certainly consider them and discuss them.

How would you have discovered that this was the purpose of his eyes without first knowing the function of a pair of eyes that can see? You're not defining the purpose of the eye in terms of the function of the blind man's eyes, but you're still defining it in terms of the function of other eyes (particularly, ones that can see). What made you decide to define the purpose of the eye based on the ones that can see rather than the ones that cannot?

 

LiquidShoes Pornstars might be mistreated, yes, but as far as I know, no one forced them to become a pornstar, now did they?
As far as I am concerned, some porn stars are forced to do the job.They are controlled by the gangsters with drugs and violence.And some children actresses maybe seduced.

 

This is slavery.

 

Nope!!! It’s parents slapping the tide pod out of their children’s mouth, and saying look you don’t work you don’t eat. Get off the internet get off the couch and go to work.

 

Anybody who argues that porn performers consent and choose their job, most of them probably do. But many do not and are exploited. So if you you watch porn you are supporting exploitation, which is obviously immoral.

Fight the new drug had a lot of articles about it.

 

@Paperweight I thought you were just going to beat people with hessian sacks full of door knobs if they disagreed with you.

 

Maybe I'm going out on a limb here. I don't think it's immoral, though I don't have a big moral conscience.

 

Well, you are a decent bloke @NoBrainer (IMHO). When you were a moderator here for well over a year, I got the impression that most people found you acted fairly and sensitively. I think that demonstrates a morality of sorts. You certainly have a clear understanding of right and wrong. I do not think the judgements you make in your life are amoral. I think you live your life by certain principles - so they would be your morals - yeah?

In view of my eulogy, lol, why do your instincts tell you that porn is not immoral. Can you explain or quantify that mate?

 

Hey everyone who has quit porn knows why it is immoral.I will say my reasons.

First what do you gain by seeing pornography?Just a false pleasure. Isn't it right. We are giving tons of our time to just a false pleasure. It makes you an addict and takes you to zero.Just think what if you concentrate on a game or skill if you had spent the time in it during the Time and energy spent in porn. I bet that you will get an international recognition If u did it with that vigour.

Secondly, Its practically immoral. Have you ever seen a guy with normal life who has got addicted to pornography. He lusts everyone and EVERYTHING. It may be a doll or real women. Just guess at least 15% people in world are addicted to porn in world(heavily). How many have them passed infront of your mom or sister wife or daughter. Can you guarantee that they didn't lust them. This means you had been encouraging these boys to lust you family. Lust doesn't sees who is on the other side. It just happens to a person addicted to porn.

Thirdly, how many deaths have been occurrd in pornography till date? Aren't we responsible(at least a percent) for them. What you say to death of august ames? Arent we responsible for it? Think brother think.

I won't encouage the industry that kills humanity,that lusts my family, which kills people around the world , not even a second i cant spend my time on porn....

 

What if the solution to the physical survival of the community requires that some of the community be killed due to a lack of natural resources? Would this killing of innocent lives then be moral?

A lot of what you’re saying I agree with, however if you believe the source of morality comes from the physical universe, meaning its source isn’t from a spiritual entity, then you’re going to fall into the moral conundrum of “the ends justify the means”? Which in the above situation is debatable. If we take evolution as being the arbiter of morality then yes the killing of innocents to ensure the survival of the community is “moral”; however, if we dont believe this killing would be moral then the arbiter of morality would need to transcend the physical reality and be spiritual in nature since morality would have to deal with the life of the soul rather than just the life of the body.

“For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?”—Mark 8:36

Edit: Also if there is no God then there can be no sin, and if there is no sin then there is no evil. We wouldn’t judge the actions of men as being evil just like how we do not assign morality to animals in nature; chimps who kill each other are not considered evil. Animals that eat their young are not considered evil. Animals that forcefully take over their mates are not considered rapists.

If nature was the arbiter of morality then there would be none hence why so many humans look towards nature to justify their own actions.

 

I don't know. I just prefer the simplicity of the nihilistic argument I guess.

 

Hmm, I had to look that up. Apparently, "Nihilism is the belief that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated. It is often associated with extreme pessimism and a radical skepticism that condemns existence. A true nihilist would believe in nothing, have no loyalties, and no purpose other than, perhaps, an impulse to destroy." Is that how you view you life and the world around you? Well, fuck me! I never knew you.

 

A great set of questions and some great answers and comments. Here I'll try and address the first three.

I actually got to nofap after watching the documentary 'Hot Girls Wanted.' This looks at some of the youngsters who get lured into the so called Amateur Porn industry. These girls, few of them much over 18, get free tickets from small towns in the USA to come to Miami and 'try and make it big' in the porn industry.

These kids are at the age where sex is great fun and they imagine they are going to be paid big money to have fun.They get paid about $500 to be shot giving a blow job or having sex and there's a sliding scale depending how extreme the act is. Out of this they have to cover all expenses, clothes, hair and makeup and other extras. One girl started off saying how she wasn't on birthcontrol because normally they want to shoot cum on body or whatever. Subsequently when the 'director' persuaded her to do a creampie scene she had to pay $50 for a Plan B morning after pill.

Sexual related health problems caused by extreme acts are also quite common and, of course, expensive.

During the movie we learn that most of these kids have careers of about three months maximum. Then they have the choice to go home or find alternative work. Many seem to end up in prostitution or massage parlours.

I'm also inclined to think that free porn, like the stuff those amateurs are making, is actually a gateway to a bigger money spinner, Web Cam girls. As we've heard addiction leads to a desire for more simulation and all the free sites give links to Cam girls.

Of course, such exploitation of sex workers is not new. Nor is the predisposition of capitalism to normalise dangerous, addictive products. So, to those first questions I'd answer YES.

To these questions I'd have to answer NO. Man must be allowed free will. Even if he endangers himself.

If the production of porn was criminalised, or one might say de-normalised, its consumption would be viewed differently. But if porn production was stopped tomorrow there is enough material circulating to keep the websites going for years.

But the problem most of the members on NOFAP have is addiction.

What needs to be recognised is the addictive nature of porn and then humans with intelligence and freewill can find ways of dealing with it. I regret to say that it took me over 50 years to work it out but watching the movie 'Hot Girls Wanted' made me start looking at the topic and finally seeing it as a problem of addiction.

 

This is just the kind of toxic masculinity that assumes that people who watch porn and play video games while with their parents (maybe they're in high school, are recovering from physical or mental trauma OR are trying to gain an upper hand financially for their future)...are losers. It's complete bullshit.

Now that's not to say there are healthier ways to improve one's confidence, self esteem and validation - working on an oil rig for a long stretch would be a way to do that perhaps if the person's a right fit. I know I probably wouldn't be - and yet you consider people who don't fit that standard to be "pussies." A real man doesn't care how others define or label him because he's comfortable with his own definition as long as it's sustaining and striving for self improvement.

Who are you to judge, troll?