The ethics of pornography in the era of AIDS

Abstract

Since the inception of sexology as an academic discipline a century ago, the boundary between sexology, the science, andsexosophy, the philosophy of sex, has been poorly demarcated, especially with respect to the principles of sex-reform movements. Several early 20th century sexologists overtly espoused the principles of eugenics reform, which, in the 1930s, Hitler used against them. A large proportion of today's sex therapists, researchers, and educators are among “those who cannot remember the past” and are, therefore, according to Santayana, “condemned to repeat it.” That is to say, they follow the example of eugenics reformers by adhering to explanatory principles as if they were apolictically indisputable; whereas, they are, in fact, dangerously political professional platitudes for the criminalization of sex. One such platitude is that pornography is dehumanizing and a socially contagious criminal offense. Social-contagion theory had its origin in Tissot's 18th century revival of semen-conservation theory. In America, Tissot's antisexual health-reform ideas were transmitted by Graham to Kellogg and Corn-stock. The Comstock Laws of 1873 are still extant and are the basis of contemporary judicial, academic, and public misconceptions regarding the social contagiousness of pornography. These misconceptions render the nation incapable of using pornography constructively in a program of sex-safety to prevent AIDS infection, especially among newly pubertal adolescents and young adults. The model to follow has already been provided by gay JACK and JO masturbation clubs.