The Scientific State of Mind by J. Jacobs and Enough Already, Its Time We Decriminalize Prostitution P. Kelly - Assignment Example

The author claims that science does not end with one discovery, because a new finding often leads to further questions which serve as a new challenge for scientists. The article outlines the four-step process undertaken by scientists to come up with new theories. The scientific process always starts with a fruitful question. A fruitful question is a question which in spite of taking into consideration everything known about the object or event, still crops up and remain a mystery about such object or event (The scientific state of mind 399).

After identifying a fruitful question, the scientist comes up with several hypotheses that are possible answers to the questions. These hypotheses are then tested, either through laboratory experiments or through scientific observations. If a hypothesis is proven to be true, then it will be considered as a theory. The fourth stage follows which is known as the “question chain” because after coming up with a scientific theory, new questions come up that will again go through the scientific process.

One can, therefore, say that the scientific process is a cycle because it goes on and on. The argumentative essay "Enough Already, It’s Time We Decriminalize Prostitution P. Kelly" seeks to convince the readers that the best way for society to benefit from prostitution is to legalize it.  The author is an anthropologist who worked at a legal, state-regulated brothel in Mexico, to study and analyze the issues on prostitution.  He emphasizes that prostitution exists whether it is prohibited or not.

  Furthermore, he claims that even if prostitution is not legalized in some states or countries, it still continues to exist. The arguments enumerated by the author are clearly presented in the essay. First, he asserts that prostitution provides job opportunities for women. It pays more than the other lowly jobs such as servants and factory workers (Enough already, it's time we decriminalize prostitution 437). Furthermore, based on his interviews with prostitutes, some of these women freely chose to become prostitutes and are happy with their jobs.

The author also argues that decriminalizing prostitution offers safeguards to both the prostitutes and their clients. Problems such as sexually-transmitted diseases and low rates are better addressed. Prostitutes get police protection. Clients obtain a sense of security because prostitutes are required to register with the authorities and they undergo medical testing. The author professes that the criminalization of prostitution is worse. He cites Sweden’s experience after it criminalized commercial sex in 1998.

He says that the rates became lower, clients were fewer and there were more incidences of violence. The author concludes by stating that people should not make hasty generalizations by saying that “sex workers are victims and all clients are demons” (Enough already, it's time we decriminalize prostitution 437). He goes on further to say that people should not be moral judges and instead be more honest on the issue of prostitution (Enough already, it's time we decriminalize prostitution 437).