Here's a tough one for you to consider.
First, answer this question to yourself: why is child pornography wrong (assuming that you do think it is wrong)?
Now, I'm guessing that the first answer you came up with is something like: "It is wrong because it exploits/damages/victimizes children."
OK, now imagine this: is digitally-computer created child pornography wrong? That is, imagine that some computer programer could develop digitally created pornography that is not based off of any child but is completely made up -- it is not using any specific child as a model for the pornography, etc. So... now, it would be claimed, we've removed the reason you had for why child pornography is wrong -- namely, digitally created child pornography does not damage a child.
So... (two questions):
First, do you think digitally created child pornography (which is not based on any particular child) is wrong?
If so, WHY is it wrong? It would seem that your initial reasons for thinking child pornography is wrong no longer apply here. What reasons could you come up with for claiming that digitally created child pornography is wrong??
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4 comments:
Hi BJ, thought I'd drop in on this one--
how about this: if we take the bearer of moral value to be not simply actions, but move it further back to include motivations and thoughts, then the desire to act in ways which harm children would still be a wrong, even though this might never be acted upon. I think there is something to this, although this makes for a harsh ethics (we're often wrong simply because we have thoughts we may never dream of acting on). In the case of digital child pornography, then, one could argue that such material fosters the kind of desires and motivations which are themselves wrong, in themselves, and not simply because of their consequences, and thus ought to be looked down upon (though not perhaps as strongly as the actual act, which involves others, and may make the wrong worse).
Still, this may be reason enough to disallow such material, if we are willing to legislate against private wrongs that may not effect others. I think it may be easier to conclude that digital child pornography is wrong than it would be to conclude that it should be illegal. For this, we would have to get into the question of whether or not one should be legally permitted to commit (possibly grave) moral errors which do not effect others. This is a tough question.
What about the argument that viewing child porn could lead to other illegal acts such as molestation and sexual assault on a minor. You could say that by viewing child porn, you are inticing thoughts and behaviors that could lead you to act on them and potentially harm a child. I am reminded of Dateline and their To Catch a Predator Shows. These men that look for young boys or girls around the age of 12 for sex, etc. begin by chatting online. Is chatting online in a sexual manner illegal? No. But when you begin to act on those thoughts and desires by soliciting that child for sex and then going to their house, that is then illegal. I would claim that viewing child porn is similar in nature. It may lead to acts like this. It could intice people to act and commit a crime against a child. This is a bit of a weak argument, but something to consider.
Without even thinking about it, I agree with the idea that child pornography is wrong for the reason that it is harming children. As for digitally created porn, it is still wrong because it still hurts children, in the sense that it is still hurting "children" or the idea of what a child is. When I think of children, I think innocence, I think someone who's world is still bright and untainted by such things as crime, rape, and pain. By subjecting any form of child to the events that pornography entails, is a truly scary thought. And by making it ok, because it isn't "real" just opens the door for more things along the line.
What's next after digitized child pornography, virtual reality rooms were you can rape children, or use them to your advantage how you please. Some might argue that by allowing these things to be done in an environment that isn't real would allow people with affiliations towards sex with children to act upon these desires without actually harming someone. Does this really help the person at all, does it really protect children? What happens when digitized becomes so life- like that you can't tell the difference. When the line between right and wrong has become so blurred, that you can't remember where it stood in the first place.
Digital child pornography is wrong simply because it is, a child whether real or digitized should never be subjected to such acts or even thoughts. To blur that line now, will just allow greater autrocities to be tolerated later.
I firmly believe that any kind of child pornography is wrong, even if it is digitally created. As people have said before, the image and idea of a child in those pictures still produces the same affect as a picture of a real child would. What we put into our minds eventually reflects in our actions and words. For example it has been psycologically proven in many studies that if a child is exposed to violent movies or video games etc., that child has a greater tendency to commit violent actions in the future. While most children or people will not get up and go murder someone, those violent thoughts still lead down a path of destruction. So would this not also apply to looking at digitally created child porn? If a person grew addicted/accustomed to looking at a child in a sexual way, wouldn't that also carry over to their every day lives away from a computer screen? They have stored those images in their brain, available to access anytime. Being able to bring up those images could mean being able to bring up enough violence or motive to actually commit a pedophile act.
Even if the digital pictures do not physically and mentally exploit any children in particular, it overall exploits children in general through thoughts and motives, which eventually leak through a person to affect other in their lives.
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