Why Prostitution is Wrong - a Simple Explanation for Libertarians

Some libertarians see prostitution as a question of personal autonomy vs. an arbitrary cultural bias. Appeals to tradition and morality don't persuade them much. This is a quick and dirty evolutionary psychology based denunciation of prostitution. No need for morality, tradition, or religion.

What effect does prostitution have on the health and survival of a community? Compared to a community with low levels of prostitution, a community with high levels of prostitution will have:

1. a higher number of women with many sexual partners
2. a higher number of children without an identifiable father
3. a higher incidence of sexually transmitted diseases

The negative externalities (the costs to society) of two and three are fairly intuitive. Let me just add for the libertarians that illegitimacy increases the demand for vast social programs.

For effect one, the negative externalities are not as obvious, but they're real. Women with many sexual partners aren't as appealing to men interested in committed relationships, because there is more uncertainty as to who the father of any children is. This is not a value judgement, it as an observation. Fewer stable two parent families reduces the fitness of a community.

The advantages of stable two parent families, children who know who their father is, and reduced sexually transmitted diseases make prejudice against prostitution an adaptive meme. That is, an evolutionary advantage on for a community, not an arbitrary prejudice.

Your welfare depends in part on the health of your community, so support stigmas and laws against prostitution, for your own good.