Abstract

This paper applies moral perception theory to the feminist pornography debate. According to Rebecca Kukla, moral perception is "the perception of normatively contoured objects and states of affairs, where that perception enables us to engage in practical reason and judgement concerning these particulars". Her explanation of moral perception includes the concept of moral blindness. Moral blindness is the way in which people fail to see moral particulars. This paper identifies the ways in which feminists on both sides of the pornography debate appear to be morally blind to the opinions of those on the other. The hope of this paper is that in identifying the instances of moral blindness within the feminist pornography debate, they can be avoided. If moral blindness is successfully avoided, each side will be better able to appreciate the views expressed by the other, allowing for a less adversarial and more productive discussion of pornography.