Publication Date

Fall 1992

Journal

Yale Journal of Law and Feminism

Abstract

The article critically examines the opposing views of Cass Sunstein and Catharine MacKinnon on pornography and its legal implications, highlighting their divergent definitions and approaches. Sunstein advocates for a narrow, violence-focused antipornography legislation, while MacKinnon pushes for a broader definition that encompasses gender subordination. The analysis reveals how Sunstein's critique of MacKinnon unintentionally weakens feminist challenges to masculinism by separating sexuality from power dynamics. MacKinnon's theory, rooted in a premodern Christian view of sexuality, posits that pornography constructs women as objects, reinforcing gender inequality. The article underscores the tension between legal reform and the deeper structural changes needed to address sexual inequality.

Volume

5

Issue

1

First Page

123

Last Page

180

Publisher

Yale Law School

Disciplines

Law | Law and Society

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