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Chen Guo Lim

POrn is Good! - 20 views

pornography

started by Chen Guo Lim on 01 Sep 09
  • Jianwei Tan
     
    Personally, I have nothing against pornography. People can put up whatever they want on the Internet and it's really up to parents to protect their children.

    However, I'm not sure the argument about money is a really compelling one. I think the ethical reasons of banning pornography and the possible benefits that we might be able to obtain from banning pornography is worth the money lost. The argument that we are restricting people's freedom of action and speech is a more compelling reason to question society's need to oppose pornography.

    I do not think pornography teaches anything important about sex. (But feel free to prove me wrong. Lol.) For example, if I'm not wrong, pornographic scenes don't usually illustrate the use of contraceptives. Thus, I would argue that pornography would increase unwanted pregnancies. Pornography also doesn't inform people about the consequences of having sexual course or choosing your sexual partner carefully. Again, leading to more unwanted pregnancies.
  • Chen Guo Lim
     
    I would like to reilterate my point on pornography being an educational tool. I was referring to pornography as a tool to teach you ABOUT sex, as in the know-hows, the different positions, the supposed "correct" procedure. I was not referring to SEX EDUCATION as MOE has decided to call it.

    Also, I do not believe that people are born knowing how to engage in sexual activity.

    At some point in time, we have been acculturated, or taught that sex is done in a particular way, and pornography might be just one of these ways we learnt how to have sex.

    You might say that you heard about it from your friends. But if these speeches are able to conjure up images and concepts in your minds, that are related to sexual activities, aren't these also considered pornography, but existing only in different medium?

    I would also like to challenge the notion of "ethical reasons". I do not think it is ethical to ban something that benefits others. For example in the reading, CD 1 was rejected because the censorship was too wide such that it covers other aspects such as the undermining of the internet, and other information such as health-related.
  • Chen Guo Lim
     
    In addition, the only reason why safe sex might be less propogated in pornography is simply because of the mechanism of producers responding to consumer needs, as is mentioned in article:

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3644303.stm

    In this case, unwanted pregnancies might have arose due to pornography.

    It is irrelevant to make a causal relation between unwanted pregnancies and pornography, as unwanted pregnancies may have existed even before pornographic material of any kind has been invented.

    Taking this a little further, if a married couple, after watching porn together decides to have a go and a baby comes along unintentionally, then is it ethical for them to point towards porn?

    We have to take into considerations the contextual meanings and ideologies as mentioned by Weiye in rebutting my previous arguements.

    =)
  • Weiye Loh
     
    "Also, I do not believe that people are born knowing how to engage in sexual activity. "

    From a Socratic perspective, knowledge is inherent in us. You just need to ask the right question at the right moment. =) (Self-)questioning is the essence of knowledge on sex. Not pornography. =)

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