Sexual Exploitaion and Morality

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Prabhav Adhikari

Professor Nutting

Philosophy 445-01

April 29, 2011

Writing Assignment #2: Sexual Exploitation and Morality

The term exploitation, in basic terms, can be defined as an activity that has already been or will be executed, or the act of using something or someone for any purpose or means. For the majority of times when this word is typically employed, it generally denotes a cruel or a rude type of behavior rather than something that would be pleasant or rewarding to understand. To deceive an individual by compelling him to sign a document that will in turn rob him of all his resources and assets, to force somebody directly or indirectly to do something immoral, or to use or manipulate somebody without his or her permission are all examples of exploitation. Similarly, sexual exploitation refers to the abuse or misuse of an individual by another person without his or her consent; it is often seen in the form of power or forceful position used by the controller who solely hopes to engage in sexual contact with his victim in order to achieve his benefits of sexual pleasure. Rape, trafficking, and unauthorized sex are a few examples of sexual exploitation. Rather than the assurance or chance of love and inner feelings to encompass the relationship of a couple, sexual exploitation engenders nothing but torture and harm. With the aid of Immanuel Kant’s view on exploitation, I will develop this essay to suggest that the use of another individual to be seen as sexual objects and the practice of prostitution is morally wrong.

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One would agree that if married couples are engaging in a form similar to rape with the use of their partners as a sex object to fulfill their desires rather than see them as a human being, their behavior would be considered to be morally wrong. In his works, Alan Soble identifies this case as the Kantian sex problem:

“If sexual desire is, by its nature, directed toward another person as an object; if the experience of sexual desire itself challenges a person's rationality and autonomy; and if while engaging in sexual activity, people are essentially making use of each ...

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