The Limits of Consent

This journal has frequently taken the position that consent, or at least informed consent, is all that from a secular viewpoint is necessary for an activity to be ethical. We argue to the contrary, that consent is and only is a political criterion for determining criminality—even for a libertarian. Consensual behavior can be unethical—although it should not be criminalized—if the consent will never be truly revocable in the future or if such revocability is severely compromised. We give three examples, one from common experience, and two from the areas normally covered in this journal.