objectification of women – Diversity Reading List

Langton, Rae. Speech Acts and Unspeakable Acts

1993, Philosophy and Public Affairs 22(4): 293-330.

Categories: Feminist Philosophy, Feminist Philosophy of Language, Metaphysics & Epistemology, Philosophy of Gender Race and Sexuality, Philosophy of Language, Pornography, Speech Acts, Value Theory

Keywords: feminist philosophy, objectification of women, pornography, speech acts

Expand entry: Added by: Emily Paul

Summary: Considers the idea of construing Pornography as a speech act - what this would mean, and the implications that follow from this. Examines arguments that pornography can i) subordinate and ii) silence women.

Comment: Great paper for a feminist philosophy course - in particular, for a unit on Pornography. It could be good to set seminar questions asking (for example) how, according to Langton, pornography silences women. It could also be good to get students to be clear on Langton's three different types of speech act, and to give their own examples of these. (The 3 being illocutionary, perlocutionary and locutionary).

Difficulty: Intermediate-Advanced

Recommended use: Specialised

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