One might object to this if one holds that only sex acts which lead to procreation are morally acceptable, but as was seen earlier, Kant did not ascribe to such a natural law line. Thus, if one decouples Kant's repulsion about sexual acts from his overall contractual emphasis, a strong case can be made in favour of reciprocity in sexual relations, outside of a marriage contract. For what it is worth, Kant was a lifelong celibate, whose knowledge of sexual fulfillment must have been primarily theoretical. Just as Garry points out that much pornography is degrading, so undoubtedly is much prostitution. But a consistent Kantian can look upon providing sexual services as morally acceptable, provided no coercion is involved, and provided each participant fulfills his or her end of the bargain.
Mutual respect is a real possibility in such activities.
While Kant's lemon analogy seems to say a good deal about his own negative attitudes toward sexuality, when it comes to discussing the morality of prostitution, his emphasis on reciprocity and respect is still fruitful. Tim Madigan is the Editor of Free Inquiry, the international humanist magazine based in Amherst, New York. This document maintained by Cyan Information Technology .