Whats Wrong When It Comes To Watching

Ethical Perspective

Many people have different ethical views when it comes to child pornography. Some people believe it is okay to view child pornography because it doesn't hurt the child when someone watches the porn. The child is only hurt when the porn is being made. Others believe it is wrong to view or support anything that shows children are hurt. The vast majority of people don't want to see anyone being hurt especially a child. The reason people watch the porn is because they see it as the child isn't being hurt. A person can change their ethics to justify a belief. In psychology there is a term for justifying an action that contradicts a preconceived notion. That term is “adaptive preference formation”. Adaptive preference formation is used to reduce cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is an action which contradicts a preconceived notion (Festinger). If your original belief was “watching child pornography is wrong”, then you watch child pornography and like it. You then think “Child pornography isn't bad at all”. Your ethical view on it has changed because of the joy you have from watching it. Child pornography is a difficult subject to talk ethically because ethics is one persons belief in a situation, “Would you steal bread to feed your family? Or not.”. I may believe that it is 100% wrong to watch child pornography but you may not. I would steal the bread but you may not. The other problem with trying to find an ethical view on child pornography is “adaptive preference formation”. Someones ethics on the subject may change over time depending on the actions they take around the subject. Another problem with child pornography is how you treat your child. People all treat children differently. One person might portray child pornography as torture to children, but someone else might just compare it to a job no different then adult porn which is legal. Ethics cant be right or wrong its just the decision you made on that topic. My ethical view point is I would never watch child pornography.