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Reading 16-11. Why does Pateman think that prostitution is sex without love (and why does that
matter)?
- Carole Pateman argues that prostitution is sex without love because it reduces sex
to a transactional exchange, stripping it of emotional connection and intimacy. This
matters because, in her view, when sex is commodified in this way, it dehumanizes the
woman, turning her body into a product for sale rather than part of a mutual, loving
relationship. Pateman believes this dynamic reinforces patriarchal power structures,
where men pay for access to women’s bodies without emotional investment, reinforcing
the idea that women exist to fulfill male desires. By separating sex from emotional
intimacy, prostitution, according to Pateman, perpetuates harmful social inequalities and
reduces sex to an act of consumption.
2. What is Pateman’s point in her comparison of sex and food?
- Carole Pateman compares sex to food to illustrate how prostitution uniquely
commodifies sex in a way that other human needs, like eating, are not. She points out that
while we pay for food or restaurant service, the act of eating remains personal and
necessary. In prostitution, however, sex—an act that ideally involves intimacy—is reduced
to a transactional exchange where a person’s body is sold for another’s use. Pateman uses
this comparison to argue that prostitution is more exploitative because it treats the body
as a commodity, not just a service. For example, in the reading, she notes that while paying
for a meal doesn’t involve buying the person preparing the food, prostitution involves
buying access to the body itself, which fundamentally changes the nature of the
transaction.
3. Why does Pateman suggest that prostitution is part of an expression of
contemporary masculine sexuality?
- Carole Pateman suggests that prostitution is part of the expression of
contemporary masculine sexuality because it reflects and reinforces the idea that
men have the right to access women’s bodies for sexual gratification. She argues
that prostitution is not just a neutral transaction but is deeply rooted in patriarchal
structures that shape how male sexuality is expressed and normalized in society. In
her view, prostitution embodies a form of masculine sexual entitlement, where men
can fulfill their desires through the purchase of women’s bodies, without the need
for emotional connection, intimacy, or equality.
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