Ronald F. White, Ph.d. Professor of Philosophy College of Mount St. Joseph

Newport in the 1970s Janet Jackson

Pornography as Speech Pornography as Art –Aesthetic Expression Pornography as Business –Sex Industry: Strippers, Dancers, Bars, Stores, Video Stores, Internet Sites, Kinds of Pornographic Delivery –Pictures Drawings, paintings, photography –Literature –Plays –Movies Video –X-rated movie houses –Cable TV –VHS and DVD –Internet

Pleistocene Roots –Males Visual Stimulation Variety Seeking –The “Coolidge Effect” –Females Imaginative Stimulation Security Seeking – sexchart.htmhttp://inside.msj.edu/academics/faculty/whiter/ sexchart.htm

Genitalia Sex Acts –Sexual Intercourse –Masturbation –Homosexuality –Sadomachism –Fetishism (foot, cross dressing etc.) –Sodomy –Child Pornography –Beastiality –Necrophilia Violent Acts –Snuff Films

Liberty –Harm to Self –Harm to Others Categorical Imperative Offence Principle Legal Moralism (Harmless Immoralities) Discrimination and Exploitation- –Women –Children –Poor

Morality vs. Legality Relativism: There are no universal moral standards. –Historical Relativism –Cultural Relativism International Standards National Standards Local Standards Individual Standards Universalism: There are at least some universal moral standards. –Extreme Conservative: –Roman Catholic Natural Law Perversion Fornication –Kantian Categorical Imperative –Extreme Liberal (Libertarian) Harm Principle Moderate Views Utilitarianism

Arguments Against: –Dignity of Human Body –Discrimination Against Women and Children –Exploitation of Women and Children –Harm to Women and Children –Harm to Institution of Marriage –Utility (Harm to the Community) Moral Economic Public Health Arguments In Favor –Liberty Buyers and sellers Free Market –Utilitarian –Religious Freedom Economic Arguments Black Market Effect