Honors Program
Document Type
Thesis
Date of this Version
Fall 2021
Citation
Allison, Gillian. "Addressing the Harms of Pornography." Undergraduate Honors Thesis. University of Nebraska - Lincoln. 2021.
Abstract
Within this paper I look at the existing philosophical work on pornography, from scholars like Catherine MacKinnon, Ronald Dworkin, and Rae Langton to show the current state of the pornography debate that I intend to enter by presenting my own argument about the morality of pornography. I argue that while pornography is harmful, these harms are best resolved through increased sexual education and the popularization and production of more inclusive pornography. The harms pornography causes are so great because pornography is where a lot of people learn about sex. Pornography was never designed to depict an average sexual experience. If we increase sexual education pornography will lose some of its power to cause harm as it it will no longer be an authority on what sex is, and can remain a depiction of a fantasy that viewers can watch for sexual stimulation. Pornography also seems to exclusively feature white, cis-gender, attractive, thin, able-bodied, straight couples. Allowing people from marginalized communities to produce and star in pornography will also reduce the harms of pornography because increasing diversity within pornography will help make sure that members of those marginalized communities are not being exploited by pornography.
Included in
Applied Ethics Commons, Ethics and Political Philosophy Commons, Feminist Philosophy Commons, Gifted Education Commons, Higher Education Commons, Law and Gender Commons, Law and Philosophy Commons, Other Education Commons, Other Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons, Sexuality and the Law Commons, Women's Studies Commons
Comments
Copyright Gillian Allison 2021.