Ever taken an illicit, opportunist glance at an old woman's breasts? Ever masturbated outside the confines of your own home? Ever given, or received in a matinee? Of course you have, you hedonists you; and it is that which is what makes the coverage of Max Mosley's -the head of the Motor-Racing's governing body (FIA)- sexploits this week in the papers all the more sickening.
Some facts for the gossip merchants among you. Mosley was caught, on tape, in a five-way spank-fest with some open-minded young floozies, nay prostitutes. He was seen to give and receive said paddle spanking, administered and taken while garbed in the questionsable sartorial mix of leather and pyjamas, which may or may not have been similar to the clothes worn by Jews in Nazi concentration camps. That Mosley's father, Oswald, was a famous fascist in Great Britain has been bandied about as conclusive evidence of this sexually transmitted fascism.
Public indignation and hypocrisy are happy bed-fellows. What possible difference can it make to any of us what Mr Mosley gets up to in private? It is not as if motor-racing's head honcho is an inherently principled vocation; it makes no claim to being some kind of role-model position. Although not a fan of London Mayoral candidate Ken Livingstone, his point on sexual peccadiloes this week, that as long as they don't involve 'children, animals, or injurious violence', well then spank with pride, so to speak.
I find it ironic that this is presented to us as a case of immmorality. Ironic insofar as what is truly immoral here has completely escaped our collective wrath. What kind of a person secretly, and complicitly videotapes a man's private sexual affairs? What kind of a journalist gleefully accepts such filthily acquired videotape? What kind of an editor (News of the World) runs such a story? What kind of a society demands this daily garbage? It is all of that which is truly revolting.
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Does your argument here not conflict with Devlin's position in 'The enforcement of morals' you seemed to endorse in your essay?
You say: "What possible difference can it make to any of us what Mr Mosley gets up to in private?"
However if it is, as Devlin argues, hard to draw the line between public and private morality and if some kind of shared morality is needed for society to exist, Mr. Mosley immoral behaviour may indeed matter.
What do you think? Which kind of morality is necessary to preserve society? Does it matter whether an immorality is committed by a public figure such as Max Mosley (even though is no politican)?
I guess one could argue that his actions may have a bad influence on young people engaging or watching in Formula One. Perhaps he is some sort of idol for them.
On the other hand, one could also argue that since Max Mosley is no politican he should be able to be as free as he wants to be and does not need to give a good image in public.
Either way I think, we have to first agree on whether this kind of immorality does any bad to society and whether our public figures should be allowed to fully live up to their human drives.
I haven't decided on my position yet....so these are just a few thoughts.
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