Honestly this whole discussion goes from a wrong foot.
Our society is complex and diverse. There are different opinions and desires.
For example, some people are gay.
Being like that some time ago was forbidden, and it is still can not be tolerated by many people.
Because of that we accumulated huge amount of data on suppression of homosexuality.
Results where... that it dose not work that way.
Even voluntary attempts to twists themselves can't be considered safe.
Especially if it is only voluntary on paper, but I digress,
Ethics are human made. It is not a proven fact, but it is neither disproven as can not be proven that all swans are white.
Still, it is not as important, as humans generally do not act ethically,
If ethics are human made, then what right and wrong is also decided by people.
From fundamental perspective, in society that is all about fighting, and honourable duels to death are the norm.
In there, Murder in a duel is nor wrong, rather it can mean eternal glory.
It also matches the idea that homosexuality passed from forbidden into allowed.
As if there was any higher logic behind that, it would not be possible.
Now... we are kind of in a pickle?
On one side we have our nice and good taboos.
And on the other there a bunch of people who seems strange angry we forbid them.
Lets exterminate them! And that's how fascism is born. In its idea, it is 'genius'
I mean you don't see any Homo habilis around. And they where sort-of smarter.
Anyway, fascists lost, so maybe not that good of an idea, especially if you against the whole world. or was it the execution? We will return to that later.
Anyway, we decided that extermination of everyone you don't agree with is as horrible of idea as it is.
There also was nuclear bomb that mean they will take you into the grave, but it is not important.
Therefore - humanism was born.
Or well not really, it is a really old idea and all. But Human rights we know were formed there.
number 30 is literally "No use of rights to destroy others' rights" by the way.
There a lot of great stuff there, and it would been the best law ever, it it had anyone to punish those who break it.
And so, we decided that people have rights, and so we can't kill them if we disagree with them.
And so for many things taboos were lifted. Women have rights, gay have rights. At least in some parts of the world.
Still some things are not like that, murder is not allowed, regardless was it honourable duel or not.
Same with incest, and other things. The reason is very simple and obvious - it harms people!
It is very easy and simple decision, right? Actually... it is not. Even here we stumble on the fact that in general, if both duellists do agree, it dose not harms anyone who not gave consent. And Incest fundamentally harms only children because of higher chance of generic defects/
So okay, lets not talk about that. Lets talk about rape. Because there, it is definitely harms another person. I feel like more damage is from social stigma. then the fact itself, but that is a useless exercise. Rape is bad!
Sooo, rape is bad case closed!
But what about the books?
Well, it is quite obvious. Who do they harm? No one. Well, they can harm a former victim, so it is probably a good idea to mandate a warning. But regardless.
You said that "the idea of "blowing off steam" to suppress desires has been accepted as false"
It is indeed true. Catharsis dose not work long term, providing only temporary relive and possible making desire worse long term.
And reading something about rape, or playing it, theoretically can cause someone to accept it more.
But, But
Our society work from "Presumption of innocence principle" it is known part of legal system, but it is way more important outside the court.
You can go and buy a knife. You can then take that knife and murder anyone.
Should have you been arrested for buying a knife? - No.
It is true that reactive law enforcement is not efficient.
How many criminals could we catch if police had freedom to do whatever they deem necessary!
Lets start from small, anyone can be arrested.
All internet is surveyed, and if you do something illegal you can be investigated.
There is a social score system, and if yours are low you can be restricted in actions.
If your crimes deemed severe enough, death penalty is possible.
That all is real, from China by the way.
So maybe it is not that good. That's why "Presumption of innocence" is so important,
Unless you committed a crime and it can be proven, you can't be arrested.
Now back to our books. Book about evil, can indeed make someone to enact something evil.
Be it because he always wanted to do that, because it acted as a trigger or an instruction or... just because.
But it is not punishable, because it can be used in opposite direction to instead of enacting desire to go on a murder spree, to swear in chat and act like a troll. And while it is true that it will not magical solve the problem, and provides only a temporary relief. If there enough content, it is not impossible to live your life without breaking.
Even if suppression is purely voluntary, as was tested on people who tried to not be homosexual, it lead to depression, breakdowns, and a chance to crack, and either decides to finish with life, or do something forbidden.
In the best case, it forms cognitive dissonance that leads to Anxiety and so on.
Of course some people have stronger will, or simply a weaker desire.
In the end, it is fundamentally impossible to satisfy both the sheep and wolf.
But if we can't kill the wolf, feeding it and making into a dog, is the best option.
Of course, there is a small problem to all of this.
If we look into what actually happening, society rears its ugly head. Who cares about book?
For some reason no one. Who cares about such a nish book? even less people.
Who wants to feel good for free, and like they done something good and moral?
Everyone. And in our society it works not by who is right. But who has more votes.
I could've finished it there, but there another small part I have promised you
Do you remember I said that it is irrelevant as no one cares about ethics?
Well, all that stuff about how great human rights are, and all that. Some people do not believe in that.
What do they believe... Well it is that they are right, and everyone else is wrong.
The problem is that they are not killing enough people.
What they are doing instead, is slowly doing more and more absurd crimes to make people used to it.
And it starts with innocent claims that "We need to protect our children"
It may seems good, or not bad. I mean is children, right? we are all adults. Who cares if children are not allowed something!
But actually it slowly dissolves the foundation after all children are humans too. and by taking rights of children...
Then slowly take rights of adults. it is still in the name of children of course.
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After word
It is a nekropost, but it is also not one, because of reascent events. It is literally so ironically fitting, that I am lost for words, First the targeted games, now they order whole websites. I am wondering what's next, as hope is nowhere to be seen.
I wanted to say more, like explain why alcohol is allowed or why they see problem with gambling in the wrong place.
But really. Evil for one can be good for another. If we are good humans who are tolerant and reasonable please remember that