Liberalism and prostitution

"Civil Libertarians characterize prostitution as a "victimless crime" and argue that it ought to be legalized. Feminist critics counter that prostitution is not victimless, because it harms the people who do it. Civil libertarians respond that most women freely choose to do this work and that it is paternalistic for the government to limit a person's liberty for her own good." "In this book Peter de Marneffe argues that although most prostitution is voluntary, paternalistic prostitution laws in some form are nonetheless morally justifiable. If prostitution is commonly harmful in the way that feminist critics maintain, then this argument for prostitution laws is not objectionably moralistic, and some prostitution laws violate no one's rights. Paternalistic prostitution laws in some form are therefore consistent with the fundamental principles of contemporary liberalism."--Jacket.

Year

2009

Language

English

Series

Oxford political philosophy

Publisher

Oxford University Press

Editions

1

Pages

193

ISBN

9780195383249

Data source: Wikidata