Civil libertarians characterize prostitution as a 'victimless crime,' and argue that it ought to be legalized. Feminist critics say that prostitution is not victimless, since it can harm the people who do it. Civil libertarians respond that most women freely choose to do this work, and that it is paternalistic for the government to limit a person's liberty for her own good. In this book the author argues that although most prostitution is voluntary, paternalistic prostitution laws in some form are morally justifiable. If prostitution is harmful in the way that feminist critics maintain, then this argument for prostitution laws is not moralistic and some prostitution laws violate no one's rights. Paternalistic prostitution laws in some form can be consistent with the fundamental principles of contemporary liberalism.