Pornography

Philosophy Compass 5 (7):535-550 (2010)
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Abstract

This article provides an overview of the key philosophical themes and debates in discussions of pornography. In particular, I consider the major positions on how pornography ought to be defined, when (and if ) it should be regulated, whether it is best understood as speech (or action), whether there is evidence that is it harmful. I argue in favor of what is known as the civil rights approach to pornography, as reflected in the work of Catharine MacKinnon.

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Citations of this work

Blurred lines: How fictional is pornography?Aidan McGlynn - 2021 - Philosophy Compass 16 (4):e12721.
A Liberal Anti-Porn Feminism?Alex Davies - 2018 - Social Theory and Practice 44 (1):21-48.
Breaking the epistemic pornography habit.Andrew D. Spear - 2019 - Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society 18 (1):83-104.
Freedom of expression.Matteo Bonotti & Jonathan Seglow - 2021 - Philosophy Compass 16 (7):e12759.

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References found in this work

Speech acts and unspeakable acts.Rae Langton - 1993 - Philosophy and Public Affairs 22 (4):293-330.
Scorekeeping in a pornographic language game.Rae Langton & Caroline West - 1999 - Australasian Journal of Philosophy 77 (3):303 – 319.
A Matter of Principle.Law's Empire.Ronald Dworkin - 1987 - Journal of Philosophy 84 (5):284-291.
A Sensible Antiporn Feminism.A. W. Eaton - 2007 - Ethics 117 (4):674-715.
Whose Right? Ronald Dworkin, Women, and Pornographers.Rae Langton - 1990 - Philosophy and Public Affairs 19 (4):311-359.

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