Description

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In this unabashed defense of pornography from a utilitarian-hedonist perspective, philosopher Alan Soble strongly rebuts both feminist and conservative critics. Soble demonstrates that neither conservative nor feminist critics of pornography show much acquaintance with the genre they criticize. This suggests that purely political motives underlie their critiques instead of reasoned, objective arguments based on thorough empirical research.

Soble also faults critics of pornography for their failure of empathy: they refuse to see pornographic images from the various perspectives of their viewers. In approaching these images literally, detractors promulgate the worst possible interpretation of pornography. Further, they do not do justice to the social and psychological research about pornography and its purported harms. Conservatives and feminists manufacture their case against pornography and its consumers based on oversimplified interpretations of the images and a poor understanding of scientific studies.

This sardonic and well-reasoned critique of feminist and conservative moral outrage over pornography is sure to be controversial.

About the Author

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Alan Soble (New Orleans, LA) is University Research Professor and Professor of Philosophy at the University of New Orleans and the author of many books including Sexual Investigations and The Philosophy of Sex and Love: An Introduction.