the prostitute problem

[linate]

does this parable tell people to stay true to their principles..... otherwise, if they are willing to compromise, what kind of principles do they really have to begin with?

"The prostitute problem is exemplified by the old story, in which a man asks a woman if she would have sex with him for one million dollars. She responds that, yes, she supposes she would. He then asks if she would have sex with him for five dollars. She recoils, asking what kind of woman he imagines she is. He replies that they have already determined what kind of woman she is, and now they are just haggling over the price."

[Luigi]

I find these kinds of questions to be fatuous. They set up two extremes; the only correct answer is yes-or-no; they make no allowances for other influences,  which, in real life, are always part of the decision-making process.

Principles are good, sin is bad. There's no question about that. However, if the woman in question figures, "I can do this once for a million bucks and take care of my family for the foreseeable future - food, clothes, college tuition, etc.," then it's worth it to her. Also, the man who makes the offer has apparently anticipated how she'll answer the first question and the second question - he's laying a trap for her. Also, in our society, money is equated with value - when he offers her a million dollars, she feels valued; when he offers her five bucks, she feels devalued - so the question must arise in her mind whether he values her or not.

Principles are good, especially in the abstract. In the real world, we compromise on a pretty regular basis. It doesn't mean we give up our principles, it means that life isn't perfect.