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I believe that the state should act prudently to promote and defend the common good. I'm not sure if that would be described as paternalistic under your definit

I believe that the state should act prudently to promote and defend the common good. I'm not sure if that would be described as paternalistic under your definition, though I'm wary of arguing about words. > Should we also ban sports cars, alcohol and trashy romance novels? Vehicles are heavily regulated. Various safety standards are put in place, seat belts are required, and you have to provide identification in order to drive. A license is required to use a vehicle that you own, you often have to pay for insurance. This is all to use something that you own, pornography typically isn't even purchased and owned, I see no reason to avoid regulating it. Alcohol is also regulated heavily, you need to be 21 in the United States and provide identification, consumption is then restricted in various ways (public consumption, driving, etc). Is that paternalistic? I don't think so, I think there are reasonable regulations of such things, I think we should apply this to other harmful elements.

vorpalhex 4y ago
I struggle to see how consumption or avoidance of pornography is "common good". It may be individually good - we can recognize there are individuals who struggle with porn addiction. This seems very much personal good though, not to the common good of citizens. Drunk driving, where a driver can kill a random person, is a common good sort of problem and thus we might see the state regulate elements of that. I don't see how we can justify cracking down on porn as common good though.
- TheFreim 4y ago
  The personal cannot be separated from the common, the community is itself a collection of individuals. The common good is not only pertaining to happenings in public spaces. People who mistreat themselves and others privately still pertains to the common good, eating unsafe food in private will still degrade society and healthy foods should be encouraged (this has not been done in the United States, I've heard it's better elsewhere but I can't be certain). We could say drug addiction is a "personal" evil, it should still be combatted (I oppose [most] drug advertising for this reason). I've known people who harmed their bodies, irreparably in some cases, without harming anyone else. But that's not the whole story. Their family relations are degraded, they cost public resources, they have worse relations, and not to be forgotten is that they are people who deserve love, help, and support. I apply this to other evils other than drugs, such as pornography. Pornography is sold, provided, promoted to the general populace. It has an affect on real people and is typically spread socially. Discouraging and disrupting this helps individuals and groups by helping discourage immoral and unhealthy actions from spreading. Pornography affects an individuals outlook on not only themselves, changing their own view of their sexuality, but also changes how they view others, this is especially important in children who are developing in so many different ways.

vorpalhex 4y ago

I struggle to see how consumption or avoidance of pornography is "common good". It may be individually good - we can recognize there are individuals who struggle with porn addiction. This seems very much personal good though, not to the common good of citizens. Drunk driving, where a driver can kill a random person, is a common good sort of problem and thus we might see the state regulate elements of that. I don't see how we can justify cracking down on porn as common good though.

TheFreim 4y ago
The personal cannot be separated from the common, the community is itself a collection of individuals. The common good is not only pertaining to happenings in public spaces. People who mistreat themselves and others privately still pertains to the common good, eating unsafe food in private will still degrade society and healthy foods should be encouraged (this has not been done in the United States, I've heard it's better elsewhere but I can't be certain). We could say drug addiction is a "personal" evil, it should still be combatted (I oppose [most] drug advertising for this reason). I've known people who harmed their bodies, irreparably in some cases, without harming anyone else. But that's not the whole story. Their family relations are degraded, they cost public resources, they have worse relations, and not to be forgotten is that they are people who deserve love, help, and support. I apply this to other evils other than drugs, such as pornography. Pornography is sold, provided, promoted to the general populace. It has an affect on real people and is typically spread socially. Discouraging and disrupting this helps individuals and groups by helping discourage immoral and unhealthy actions from spreading. Pornography affects an individuals outlook on not only themselves, changing their own view of their sexuality, but also changes how they view others, this is especially important in children who are developing in so many different ways.