What is “Immoral?”

Back in January, I exchanged emails with a friend of mine regarding the question: “Is pornography immoral?”

I confidently answered that pornography – or more accurately, the consumption of pornography – was NOT immoral.

In my opening email, I wrote:

"While I've done very little research on the subject, my instinct is to say that pornography is a lot like alcohol. It's almost impossible to make the argument that alcohol is inherently GOOD for you, and when abused, alcohol can definitely be BAD for you (and others). But there's nothing inherently BAD about alcohol or pornography if used responsibly. And since we keep alcohol legal (with some understandable restrictions), we should keep (most) porn legal too."

In a later email, I wrote more definitively:

“I don't think the word ‘immoral’ can be used in any context except behavior that directly, negatively impacts other people.”

Therefore…

“Private behavior [even though we might find it distasteful] which doesn't directly, negatively affect other people should NOT be considered immoral.”

“The consumption of porn consists of one individual (usually a man) and his computer (or TV) screen. No one else is involved. Literally. With no else involved, the concept of ‘morality’ doesn't rear its head.”

However…

“Is watching this porn ‘unhealthy?’ Almost certainly, yes. Hence, my request that it be actively ‘discouraged.’ I choose the word ‘unhealthy’ for negative behavior whose impact is limited to the self.”

To summarize…I find the word “immoral” to be a very harsh, judgmental term. And for that reason, I’ve tried to limit it to a strict definition of behavior – behavior which “directly, negatively impacts other people.” Behavior whose impact is limited to ONESELF, by definition, CAN NOT be immoral, because the person is both perpetrator AND victim.

Of course, there is a class of behavior which is 1) limited to oneself and 2) has direct, negative impact on oneself. For example, taking drugs. Or smoking cigarettes. Or having casual sex. Or sabotaging yourself by staying married to an abusive husband. But I’ve chosen the word “unhealthy” for those cases. I don’t think it makes sense to call such behavior “immoral.” After all, if smoking cigarettes is “immoral,” how do you quantify murder, rape, or theft. By making so many things “immoral,” we reduce the power of the term.

Clearly, I believe that people should work to eliminate “unhealthy behaviors” and maximize healthy behaviors (for more on that, see The Mustard Seed). But as a believer in Reality, reason, and individual rights, I don’t think it’s proper to FORCE people to be “healthy.” They must do that on their own. And according to their best judgment.

-Todd