성매매는 범죄인가? = The morality of prostitution and the legitimacy of its criminalization

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

A meaningful debate about the legalization of prostitution presupposes the philosophical reflection of the morality of taking money for bodily services. In this essay I take this task with two starting points. First of all, we should begin from taking off the stigama attached to prostitutes to solve the problem of prostitution. Secondly, the ethical grounds and beliefs supporting the criminaization of prostitution are mostly not rationally defensible. Most arguments for its criminalization are based on misogyny, which justifies exclusion of many prostitutes from enjoying fundamental and basic human rights. Some of arguments for its criminalization such as romantic love, sex as commodity, human rights, alienation don`t succeed in justifying its criminalization, though they are worthy of being respected as a personal conception of good or logic of prostitution being practiced actually. The feminist argument that prostitution perpetuates male dominance of women by selling the image and identity of subordinated women is itself very serious and cogent, but it doesn`t explain why only prostitution must be criminalized of other jobs and practices that are oppressive to women. Finally I examine the need and the meaning of the legalization of prostitution and consider if it can contribute to help rectifying the oppression of women and improning the situation of poor women being excluded from enjoying human rights.