I decided to post one of my sociology finals on here as it is one of my longer pieces of university writing. Plus, it will give me an opportunity to cite my own work from my own source! haha Enjoy the read, people.
Ethical Concerns Surrounding Pornography
Society has a multitude of illnesses; one of which is an addiction to pornography and most anything having to do with perversion. This is not to say that pornography is inherently bad in (or by) nature, as it is also seen as an art-form and method of self-expression by many, sans the intention of making a pun, of course.
It is within these aforementioned methods of self-expression and art-forms that some find themselves asking the question, “How do ethics play a part in pornography?” Herein, the reader will find an outline of the theories and belief systems which promote or choose to disassociate with the world of pornography. This article will detail the cause and effect relationship between deontological ethics, utilitarianism and virtue ethics, when relating to the world of pornography.
In order to look into the ethical perspectives surrounding pornography, we need to first understand a variety of ethical theories and perspectives; many of which have the ability to both encourage and discourage, or justify, rather, the participation of people involved. Deontology, Utilitarianism and Virtue Ethics are the three main theories which will be used in this observation.
Deontologists, those whom follow duty ethics, state that all should be treated with respect and dignity and avoid any action which could harm or betray that inherent dignity.
Utilitarians, those whom practice utilitarianism, follow the belief system which asserts that the right way to do things is the way which increases utility for the most people while reducing utility for the least number of people.
Virtue Ethics weighs an individual’s actions against one’s virtues as opposed to the action itself; it seeks to determine what makes an individual virtuous. It does not focus on rules involving the act, solely the person committing the act or acts, weighing one’s character traits.
In analyzing the issue of pornography and how mainstream it has become, the above mentioned theories and perspectives need to be tied into the topic. This is where ideas turn into subjectivity since everyone thinks differently to some degree, so facts will be adhered to as best as possible, with limited rhetoric and supposition wherever possible.
Pornography, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary (2015) is described as “movies, pictures, magazines, etc., that show or describe naked people or sex in a very open and direct way in order to cause sexual excitement.” There are a number of people who disagree with this definition, as the definition is very much open-ended, stating “in a very open and direct way” in order to “cause” a certain type of excitement. This brings one question to the forefront; how is anybody capable of determining what is open and direct in media? Is not every single instance of public nudity open and direct? Nothing is truly published on accident in this day and age. We can thereby make the logical assertion that any form of publicized nudity or sex is considerably pornographic.
With the above-mentioned statement being the case in point, how can deontology have an effect on the production of such materials? Well, seeing as deontology is based upon respect and dignity, it can be stated that certain forms of pornographic material such as “brutal” or “rape fantasy” types of pornography are certainly disrespectful and counter-dignifying. Aside from the counter-dignification, certain negative psychological effects have been noted. According to research done by a group of Chinese researchers, Wei, Lo & Wu (2010), “…research suggests that exposure to sexually explicit media was related to acceptance of rape myth. As a psychological disposition, the concept refers to false beliefs about rape, rape victims, and rapists.” (p.66) These findings are somewhat disconcerting, since the very concept of rape goes against a number of ethical and moral theories and belief systems.
Other forms of pornography which involve truly sensual love-making, gentleness, kindness, sweet words and such, play into the positive aspects of deontology, increasing respect and dignity for the persons involved, depicting passion and adoration between the persons involved in the pornographic scene or whatever other type of media which may be in consideration at the time.
Utilitarianism also sees pornography in a couple of different facets. Say, for example, there is a film in which a male actor is depicted as being bound and gagged in some fashion, while nude, by a woman, also nude, who may or may not be acquainted with him for the purposes of the film. Sparing further details, this film is ultimately being produced in efforts to increase the reputation, income and star-power of a number of individuals involved. If, in fact, the film is a success, utility is increased by untold measures for all involved, sparing much, if any, loss of utility for anyone involved, being an example of act utilitarianism. Act Utilitarians look at the specifics of an issue and seek to determine whether the act should be done based upon those specific variables. This is as opposed to Rule Utilitarians, Mosser states (2014) “in some cases, disagree, contending that one should do things that, as a rule, generate the greatest good for the greatest number.” (p.1.6)
When it comes to virtue ethics, virtue is no clear advocate for either side of the coin of pornography and is hugely supported by act utilitarianism in the case at hand. There are dozens upon dozens of virtues which can be listed for every angle of the world of pornography. Some of the virtues involved are: accountability, assertiveness, bravery, cleanliness, confidence, flexibility, honesty, liberality, patience, self-sacrifice and vitality, just to name a few. It does not take much to apply these virtues (and many others) to the adult film of media industry, and one can assert that producing an adult film or magazine pays homage to a grand number of these virtues for persons involved, save for any instance of forced pornography which intentionally degrades or harms the actors or actresses involved.
Some of the ethical issues surrounding pornography, not solely being produced, but also being distributed, hold somewhat of an inverse effect when it comes to virtue, utility and duty ethics. If on the consumer end of the pornography lens, dependent upon the consumer, of course, pornography can have a profoundly different impact. Individuals who may be prone to succumbing to addictions may find themselves trapped in what is essentially a never ending circle of guilt and frustration when utilizing pornography to fulfill a specific void in their lives.
Shame and guilt go hand in hand and generally tend to feed off of each other, which may typically result in the re-occurrence of an addiction-based activity. This being the case, consuming pornography may indeed limit or hinder personal utility, the utility of others involved, decrease the respect for a person or persons and taint the dignity of the individual affected by said consumption. Furthermore, on top of these potential negatives, certain virtues such as vitality, temperance, sobriety, restraint, purity, meekness and curiosity all tend to decrease and lose value when involved with the consumption of pornographic material.
Breaches of ethical behavior may also result from the interplay between production and consumerism within the world of pornography. Some such breaches would include an aforementioned production of rape pornography, the use of pornographic material being used against someone by manner of blackmail and even racism being brought into play within the context of pornographic production. Exhibiting racism is one of the more nonsensical breaches in ethical behavior, since when unencumbered by clothing, variation in skin color and shape happens to be the only difference that stands out. All men and women have the same equivalent sets of anatomical features and should not, under ideal circumstances, be judged in any negative fashion on any variances therein.
Breaches in ethical behavior do not solely have an adverse effect upon the lives of the actors and actresses involved, but also the consumer bases which partake in the visual consumption of pornographic material. Albeit the case that there are a multitude of ages and sexes which associate with pornography, males are generally seen as the primary consumers of much of the genre.
Males undoubtedly play a major role in how societies around the world function in today’s day and age. This coincidence coincides with how men and women relate with each other in social, economic and intimate or private settings. It can also be stated that what a man puts into his life, that, also, does he put out; ie. the proverbial “monkey see, monkey do” mentality. The idea being expressed here is: If a man takes into account what is generally cited as socially acceptable (rape fantasy pornography for example), in the form of publicly accessible pornographic material, how will that have an effect upon his integrity?
There are certain correlations and justifications which people make when it comes to consuming pornographic material. Some of these justifications follow the assumption that if a young man views and finds satisfaction in pornography, he is less likely to exhibit deviant tendencies or seek sexual attention from what may be his preferred target of sexual aggression. Perhaps summarizing the argument in laymen’s terms as “A ‘playboy’ magazine might keep him from getting the neighbor girl pregnant.” Or perhaps, some may assert that a release of sexual aggression or tension might prevent some sexual assaults from occurring. Contrary to this statement, Philipe Bensimon (2007) claims that “Despite the fact that it circulates freely, pornography has never had the slightest opposite effect, that is, a reduction in the rate of sexual assault.” (p.98) In his article titled “The Role of Pornography in Sexual Offending”, Bensimon goes on to state that the findings are subject to how research was conducted in the gathering of said findings, including the types of pornography used and levels of expertise of those involved in the research, leaving the results subject to speculation and relative levels of intrigue.
Other studies and researchers have found that in certain male populations, there are increased odds of men taking part in socially and sexually deviant behaviors subsequent to their consumption of pornography. Deviant behaviors such as the engagement in and affiliation with prostitution and adultery were found to be common, with less attention being paid to an individual’s personal protection than was in the seeking of one’s personal pleasures.
Researchers on HIV-Related Sexual Risk Behaviors, Mahapatra & Saggurti (2014) assert that “Empirical research among adolescents and adults from the general population suggests that exposure to pornographic material influences an individual’s sexual risk behaviour.” (p.2) This is a relatively dangerous finding when it comes to the ethical implications of men and women, in large numbers, becoming infected with HIV and AIDS. In the same article, Mahapatra & Saggurti also state: “Migrants’ HIV risk behaviours such as sex with female sex workers and inconsistent condom use with these partners at destination places have been identified as the primary reason for the high HIV positivity rate among them.” (p.2)
The utility of entire cultures, such as that of the migrant workers of India, is truly at risk of being depleted, along with the dignity and virtue(s) of those involved. This trickle-down effect of the pornographic industry surely has negative implications for the majority of those involved and runs as counter-utilitarian, ethically speaking.
Further investigations and research into the effects of pornography on men finds (2015) that “exposure to contemporary pornography has several potential negative impacts on male adolescents, which can lead them and their families to eventually land in a counselor’s office” (Bloom & Hagedorn, p.82) Though, this is not to say that every instance of pornography consumption by every person will lead to the necessitation of therapy, it does serve to support the argument which asserts that the input of subjective sexual material may indeed increase the adverse effects experienced by those consuming the material in question. The ethical implications, according to some persons, may be subject to a plethora of factors and may be dismissed as a product of the assertion of free will. This is not to say that the abuse of free will is not to blame for poor ethical decisions, but it is an unfair distribution of reason and weight on the part of those whom dismiss the idea that pornography, if not immediately, still has negative effects on those involved in the entire scheme of things.
As with all ethical dilemmas and arguments, the whole thing can easily be run into the ground with he-said, she-saids and how one side is worse than the other somehow. All in all, if an individual takes in a negative, an individual generally puts out a negative; coining the late and great Sir Isaac Newton’s assertion, for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.
It is by these instances of breached ethics and situations of decreased virtue that individuals can contemplate what exactly constitutes an ethical or virtuous behavior. Perhaps the antithesis of some of the instances mentioned within the context of this paper can serve as a lesson in what may prove to be a more ethical approach to the situations surrounding pornography.
Viewing the world of pornography through the eyes of a deontologist or utilitarian, may permit individuals to see either side of the proverbial coin as it is flipped and hopefully work toward attuning one’s self to the positive aspects and opportunities surrounding it.
When it all boils down, ethical theories and perspectives in and of themselves cannot play host to change, as it is the individual practicing the theory which has to be geared toward either an inherent positive or negative outlook on a particular subject. Ultimately, the above-mentioned theories and belief systems serve primarily as a catalyst to enhance the in-borne traits of a persons living in a world polluted with pornographic material.
Through the eyes of an ethicist, specifically that of some deontologists, the consumption of pornographic material may aid in spawning one’s imagination, placing their own selves into the situations being depicted, as in one popular genre of pornography; The POV, or “point of view.” POV pornography is specifically designed, written and directed to play to the ego of the consumer, wherein an actress may be performing a sexual act on a male actor with a subjective camera angle providing the consumer with a photorealistic viewpoint of the “action” so to speak. This can grant what some may call a false sense of increased self-confidence or dignity for some consumers. However temporary it may be, it is still a personal benefit to one’s dignity and, thereby, pro-deontological; increasing utility for a small majority if viewed from the act utilitarian’s perspective.
There are questions surrounding the production of pornographic media and other venues of publication, some of which include asking “Why do men make these films?” or “What’s with guys who sell porn for a living?” The fact of the matter is that women also play a pretty hearty role in the production of this sexually graphic material, as producers and designers, writers, authors and especially actresses. One scholarly author and researcher, Kath Albury, looks at much of the material as a means to find education and stated (2009) that “I do not believe that women who make porn are inherently liberated or empowered, any more than I believe that they are inherently degraded or demeaned.” (p.649) This statement brings to the table an alternate perspective to the commonly held belief that pornography involving women is inherently objectifying and demeaning to them.
From this above-mentioned viewpoint, one can perhaps also assert that pornography can be used as educational material which helps to promote sexual health, opening the borders of introversion and promoting, perhaps, a tighter social fabric, woven by the intermingling of healthy and sexually active individuals. These aforementioned individuals may also find themselves more comfortable in social aspects which involve communication, sharing ideas, thoughts and concerns with respect to current events of the day and so forth. If someone can communicate on a deep level of intimacy, it is suggested that an easier manner or method of communication may also be experienced at less of an emotional cost to the individual involved.
Education in any facet of our lives can only serve to increase our utility and subsequently, if utilized in an appropriate fashion and manner, serve to increase the utility and dignity of those associated with these newly educated individuals. One disclaimer for this argument would be that if any one person or persons would be hurt, either intentionally or unintentionally, during the course of the production of any material used for education, that utility and dignity surely would decrease and lessen the positive ethical outcome of the production of such material.
Ethics are deeply seated in the realm of pornography in that nearly every aspect surrounding production to consumption has a wide variety of outcomes for everybody involved. Some positive aspects may outweigh the negative just as some negatives outweigh any positives.
As I see it, if there were no ethics at play in the world of pornography and adult entertainment, there would likely be no market for it.
~ Anthony H.
References:
Kath Albury, 2009, University of New South Wales, Australia, Reading Porn Reparatively, Sexualities, October 2009 vol. 12 no. 5 647-653, doi: 10.1177/1363460709340373, Retrieved from: Scholarly / Peer Reviewed Articles Search via Ashford University Library, Retrieved on: 06/14/2015
Bensimon, P., 2007, The role of pornography in sexual offending, Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity, 14(2), 95-117, Retrieved from: Scholarly / Peer Reviewed Articles Search via Ashford University Library, Retrieved on: 06/14/2015
Zachary D. Bloom, W. Bryce Hagedorn, 2015, Male Adolescents and Contemporary Pornography: Implications for Marriage and Family Counselors, The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for Couples and Families, Vol. 23(1) 82-89 ª 2014, DOI: 10.1177/1066480714555672, Retrieved from: tfj.sagepub.com, Scholarly / Peer Reviewed Articles Search via Ashford University Library, Retrieved on: 06/14/2015
Hutson, Anthony C., 2015, “Ethics Surrounding Pornography”, Hutson’s WordPress Blog, Retrieved from: https://anthonyhutson.wordpress.com/, Retrieved on: 06/14/2015
Mahapatra B., Saggurti N., 2014, Exposure to Pornographic Videos and Its Effect on HIV-Related Sexual Risk Behaviours among Male Migrant Workers in Southern India, PLoS ONE 9(11): e113599, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0113599 Retrieved from: Scholarly / Peer Reviewed Articles Search via Ashford University Library, Retrieved on: 06/14/2015
Mosser, Kurt, 2014, Ethics & Social Responsibility, Second Edition, Retrieved from Constellation, an Ashford University Student Resource, Retrieved on 5/31/15
Virtue Science, 2015, List of the Virtues, Retrieved from: http://www.virtuescience.com/virtuelist.html, Retrieved on: 05/31/15
Wei, R., Lo, V., & Wu, H., 2010, Internet pornography and teen sexual attitudes and behavior, China Media Research, (3), 66. Retrieved from Ashford University Scholarly / Peer Reviewed Articles & Documents, Retrieved on: 06/01/15
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