Pornography

Berger's Definition of Pornography

"art or literature which explicitly depicts sexual activity or arousal in a manner having little or no artistic/literary value"

Longino's definition "pornography"

-"Verbal or pictorial material that represents or describes sexual behavior that's degrading or abusive to 1 or more participants in such a way as to endorse the degradation" -Includes physical harm or abuse & physical or psychological coercion -"Behavior that ignores or devalues the real interests, desires & experiences or 1 or more participants in any way is degrading"

objections to Berger

1) Many object to porn on the grounds that it harms those who produce and use it and not on the grounds that it harms uninvolved others - Perhaps it is morally wrong to act so as to cause harm to oneself. What are the possible harm for consumers and producers of porn? How likely are they? 2) Berger's argument doesn't seem to help with some of the harms alleged by Longino

problems with Longino's definition

1) Pornography is not always degrading (in this way) - Even Longino's example of an image of "a woman's genital area being spread open to the viewer by her own figures" seems pornographic but not necessarily degrading" 2) Is Longino's account of degrading behavior too broad? 3) Again, don't some instances of pornography depict no sexual activity or arousal?

problems with Berger's definition

1) Some pornography does have artistic or literary value 2) Does this mean that medical textbooks with depictions or descriptions are pornographic? 3) Some pornographic doesn't depict sexual activity or arousal 4) Could there be pornography which was not sexually explicit? - Rea's example of "Spider-Porn"

Objections to Longino

1) The casual connection between pornography (even the sort she mentions) and crimes against women or sexism is not established 2) Some pornography is the vehicle for deep and vicious lies mentioned. But some of it is not 3) Perhaps people can use pornography while acknowledging that it puts forth false views and hence remain uninfluenced by those views in other contexts

censorship: the issues

1) harm to others - Here the issue is the likelihood of nonconsensual harm to those who do not produce or consume porn. - How great IS that risk and is it great enough to override the freedom of producers and users? 2) Harm to self Here the issue are those surrounding paternalism

Prohibition vs. Regulation

Even if there are insufficient grounds to prohibit the production and use of all products which properly count as pornographic, there may be good reason for REGULATION - enforceable age limits on purchases or involvement in production - limits on location of businesses selling or producing pornography - limits on public display (billboards, television, stores) of pornographic materials

Issues For an Adequate Definition of Pornography

Is pornography - Context relative? Can something count as pornographic in one culture or time and not in another? - Dependent on the intentions of the procedures? If you produce a sexually explicit image of yourself for your wife or husband are you producing pornography? - Necessarily sexually arousing? Could there be pornography which failed to arouse anyone?

Berger on porn censorship

No because a) many people like and enjoy porn and censoring it will interfere with their right of freedom and self-determination AND b) there is a burden of proof on those who wish to interfere with liberty to show that serious harm is likely AND c) that burden of proof has not been met in the case of pornography

Longino on pornography

Pornography harms women in three ways 1) It is casually implicated in crimes against women (rape) 2) It is the means of spreading a deep and vicious lie about women by depicting women as subordinate to men, as mere instruments for male fantasy, as taking pleasure in pleasing men, or as fit subjects for rape or bondage 3) The diffusion of such a false view of women's nature reinforces sexist attitudes (in men and women) and oppression

Berger's objections to (1)

a) studies indicate that many rapist come from sexually repressed backgrounds. having porn actually prevents rape by a) providing an alternative and b) preventing repressive sexuality in the first place b) many materials can produce the same effect in the deranged (those driven to sexual crimes by the old testament and church services)

Berger's objections to (2)

a) studies indicate that porn can be useful in helping people relieve their sexual inhibitors b) underestimates our ability to enjoy and assimilate a variety of sexual experiences. porn does not dehumanize sex since a) it is produced for human fantasies b) it portrays (in many cases) people enjoying sex

Longino on porn censorship

it should be banned (or at least severely regulated) because it harms women and so is not protected under the First Amendment a) exceptions to the First Amendment and the production and sale of porn is like the other expectations b) allowing freedom of speech in this case undermines the political equality of women by reinforcing sexist attitudes

Berger on Pornography

not all pornography is bad. Some might be objected to for reasons like Longino's, but much will not. He claims that the main reasons for thinking pornography is bad are 1) arouses sexual desire in a form which leads to antisocial sexual behavior 2) alters our basic attitudes toward sex and one another and so produces a climate of antisocial behavior