censorship of pornography a moral issue
Imagine The New York Times headline reading "Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition Banned!!" If the pro-censorship/anti-porn sector of our society has its way, this headline may come true. Some of the pro-censorship supporters believe that women posing provacatively in bathing suits should be considered pornography and that this and all other forms of pornography should be made illegal. There is and has been a moral debate over whether or not pornography should be censored. Many individuals believe that pornography is harmfull to society and therefore morally wrong. However, on the other side there are also people who do not believe that pornography is harmful and some believe that it may even be beneficial to society. The type of pornography on which this memo will focus is that of in which the human subjects have agreed to participate in the production of the material, which is read or veiwed by choice by adults. While some people even find pornography involving consenting adults offensive, there is no morally compelling reason to censor this type of pornography. The first moral standard that must me considered when determining whether or not to censor pronography is the principle that all human beings have the right
to free speech and expression as long as no one else is being harmed. In order to protect human good, we all must be in control of our lives and free to make our own choices and decisions. However, there is little empirical evidence to support this idea. Another fact which must me considered when determining if banning pornography will reduse sex crimes against women it the fact that rape existed before the movie camera and printing press (Lefevere 1995:12). The right to free speech and expression is the cornerstone of the moral values that most people hold dear. Therefore, it cannot be censored by the government. By censoring adult pornography, we as individuals are unable to exercise our right to choose. However , with respect to pornography, no relevant facts exist which support the theory that it "harms" people. Also, there is not enough evidence to support the argument that pornography causes sex crimes and to provide a morally compelling reason to deny the freedoms of expression and speech which pornography allows us as human beings. It is only a matter of personal opinion whether or not there is any damage caused to humans by pornographic expression. Research has shown that in countries where pornography is banned, rates of sexual assualt against women are high and women's rights are virtually non-existent. Of course, there are certain types of expression that should not be allowed because they do present genuine harm to human beings. Censoring pornography takes away an individual's right to choose what he/she reads, watches or hears. If one finds pornography offensive, the he/she may choose not to read or watch pornographic material. As moral agents we must allow everyone to make their own decisions regarding pornography.
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Acceptance Essays
