Why is there porn?

[shkrobius]

For all debauchery of the ancient world nothing in our past appeared as pathetic as billions of lonely people masturbating before computer screens. Pornography is the uniquely modern Western invention -- and an unusual one. We do not perceive its strangeness perhaps because porn had been around for 500 years. Before privacy emerged in the late

Comments

[sergeyoho]

Had any of the anticorruption campaign have any effect, we would not have corruption, right?

Wrong, of course. "Any effect" does not mean "100% effect". Say, some libertarians are very fond of Saakashvili and his anti-corruption campaigns.

In general, your argument seems too general for me. Say, I know that there are people that consider "social justice" ideas evil and, consequently, classify Pol Pot and free government medical care for poor people as different degrees of evil. Frankly, that's not my cup of tea.

If your idea is that "depictions of corruption and vice" can foster evil, than I agree. And what? Almost everything in this world has bad and good side. If elites are greedy, corrupted and lusty, than why not to tell it to commoners? In general, I have no problem with the truth unless I am given very strong argument against it in a specific case.

Finally, putting a sort of moral responsibility on this Italian is bizarre. First, of course, pornography would arise in the modern age in any case. Second, I have no idea why it is bad.

[shkrobius]

>> If the elites are greedy, corrupt and lusty, than why not to tell that to the commoners?

First, this message is hardly new. Second, that's preferable to having these commoners greedy, corrupt, and lusty, - and that is the only result of producing such "truths." These elites are none other than yesterday's commoners tempted and seduced by these images. I cannot think of an anti-corruption campaign that did not produce a regime that is more corrupt than the one it had replaced. That people are fond of them is neither here nor there.

If you consider watching porn to be an acceptable substitute for having sex, I am not going to waste my time arguing otherwise.

[sergeyoho]

I guess you should consider European history (from Middle Ages to modern times) as a sort of regress and deterioration. Correct?

I cannot think of an anti-corruption campaign that did not produce a regime that is more corrupt than the one it had replaced.

As far as I know, Saakashvili partially succeeded. (And I don't think that I am biased in his favour.)

If you consider watching porn to be an acceptable substitute for having sex, I am not going to waste my time arguing otherwise.

Acceptable (does not mean very good) substitute for some guy that does not have opportunity for sex on a specific night. Also good for society impersonated by a lonely girl walking at night near his house and not dreaming about sex with a frustrated maniac.

[shkrobius]

Almost correct: before giving up entirely, there was one last rally during the Enlightenment. It did not work though.

Succeeding in such affairs usually means little more than corruption taking less visible, harder to detect forms.

I see. Frankly, the good of the society does not interest me one way or the other. Maybe it would be still better for the society if your hypothetical man were castrated and the girl had her vagina sewed tight before marriage, as they do in central Africa, to avoid precisely this kind of nocturnal surprises. I guess you believe in technical solutions for moral problems. Then there is no reason to stop at porn.