Liberalism and prostitution
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Liberalism and prostitution
（Oxford political philosophy）
Oxford University Press, 2012, c2010
- : pbk
Available at 5 libraries
Note
"First issued as an Oxford University Press paperback, 2012"--T.p. verso
Includes bibliographical references and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
Civil libertarians characterize prostitution as a "victimless crime," and argue that it ought to be legalized. Feminist critics counter that prostitution is not victimless, since 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.
"Philosophically distinctive and empirically well-supported. It deserves to be taken very seriously in any subsequent discussion of prostitution." -Analysis
"On the whole, de Marneffe has written a thorough and sharp book challenging some tenets of liberalism and their application to prostitution laws. De Marneffe's book carefully explores the intersection of liberalism, paternalism, and prostitution laws and is important for anyone interested in this area of criminal law theory." - Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- 1. A Paternalistic Case for Prostitution Laws
- 2. Government Moralism
- 3. The Permissibility of Paternalism
- 4. Individual Rights
- 5. Government Neutrality and Perfectionism
- Conclusion
- Index
by "Nielsen BookData"