How to do Things with Screens? Anti-Pornography Feminism and Censorship

Is it possible to condemn certain forms of expression without being seen as a moralist? In order to get around the emphasis that American jurisprudence places on freedom of speech, some antipornography feminists have used the theory of speech acts to demonstrate the wrongs that pornographic represen...

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Main Author: Denis Ramond
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Presses universitaires de Rennes 2013-05-01
Series:Revue LISA
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/lisa/5253
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author Denis Ramond
author_facet Denis Ramond
author_sort Denis Ramond
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description Is it possible to condemn certain forms of expression without being seen as a moralist? In order to get around the emphasis that American jurisprudence places on freedom of speech, some antipornography feminists have used the theory of speech acts to demonstrate the wrongs that pornographic representations can inflict on women. If pornography has the power to silence women by its mere existence, then it is possible to fight against it for the sake of freedom of expression. This article aims to show that the application of the theory of speech acts to pornography is based on a strategic confusion between the juridical and linguistic meanings of the term “speech”. However, the feminist argument forcefully emphasizes the ambiguities of the notion of “freedom of speech” when the protection of certain non-discursive forms of expression, such as pornographic representations is at stake.
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spelling doaj-art-d9a3461b5e2046d9b9be231cd25b5c4a2025-01-06T09:03:13ZengPresses universitaires de RennesRevue LISA1762-61532013-05-0111110.4000/lisa.5253How to do Things with Screens? Anti-Pornography Feminism and CensorshipDenis RamondIs it possible to condemn certain forms of expression without being seen as a moralist? In order to get around the emphasis that American jurisprudence places on freedom of speech, some antipornography feminists have used the theory of speech acts to demonstrate the wrongs that pornographic representations can inflict on women. If pornography has the power to silence women by its mere existence, then it is possible to fight against it for the sake of freedom of expression. This article aims to show that the application of the theory of speech acts to pornography is based on a strategic confusion between the juridical and linguistic meanings of the term “speech”. However, the feminist argument forcefully emphasizes the ambiguities of the notion of “freedom of speech” when the protection of certain non-discursive forms of expression, such as pornographic representations is at stake.https://journals.openedition.org/lisa/5253feminismUnited Statesfreedom of speechpornographyspeech act theory
spellingShingle Denis Ramond
How to do Things with Screens? Anti-Pornography Feminism and Censorship
Revue LISA
feminism
United States
freedom of speech
pornography
speech act theory
title How to do Things with Screens? Anti-Pornography Feminism and Censorship
title_full How to do Things with Screens? Anti-Pornography Feminism and Censorship
title_fullStr How to do Things with Screens? Anti-Pornography Feminism and Censorship
title_full_unstemmed How to do Things with Screens? Anti-Pornography Feminism and Censorship
title_short How to do Things with Screens? Anti-Pornography Feminism and Censorship
title_sort how to do things with screens anti pornography feminism and censorship
topic feminism
United States
freedom of speech
pornography
speech act theory
url https://journals.openedition.org/lisa/5253
work_keys_str_mv AT denisramond howtodothingswithscreensantipornographyfeminismandcensorship