Harding Undergraduate Research Conference
Document Type
Research Paper
Date of presentation
Spring 4-17-2025
Department
English
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Russell Keck
Abstract
In the twenty-first century, it is common to see feminists and pro-sex work voices lauding prostitution and other forms of the sex industry as viable expressions of women’s sexual and financial agency. As long as every participating party consents, they argue, sex work is not only tolerable, but admirable and positive – a form of transaction or service deserving license, protection, and respect in the name of individual freedom and female agency. Such voices argue that prostitution can even be dignified, as the sex industry supposedly allows participants full freedom to express their sexuality. In this paper, I offer an alternative perspective to the profession of prostitution: instead of agency or morality, we must consider prostitutes, purchasers, and the sex industry in the light of human dignity. With support from Louise Perry, Kathleen Barry, Ian Robinson, and Janice G. Raymond, I will argue that prostitution is inherently repressive and violent. I will elaborate on their arguments by connecting them to the work and philosophy of Michael Rosen, George Kateb, and Rollo May and argue that even if sex work is freely chosen, such work should be avoided and discouraged at all costs because of the effect it has on both individual and collective dignity. The purpose of my research is to begin an investigation into prostitution’s effect on human dignity and encourage others to reconsider the role of agency and dignity in prostitution.
Copyright held by
author
Recommended Citation
Kernodle, C. (2025). Human Dignity and Prostitution. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.harding.edu/hurc/2
Included in
Ethics and Political Philosophy Commons, Feminist Philosophy Commons, Law and Gender Commons, Literature in English, North America Commons, Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, Sexuality and the Law Commons, Women's Studies Commons
