Art or Porn: Clear division or false dilemma?

Philosophy and Literature 35 (1):51-64 (2011)
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Abstract

Jerrold Levinson conveniently summarizes the main argument of his essay "Erotic Art and Pornographic Pictures" in the following way:Erotic art consists of images centrally aimed at a certain sort of reception R1.Pornography consists of images centrally aimed at a certain sort of reception R2.R1 essentially involves attention to form/vehicle/medium/manner, and so entails treating images as in part opaque.R2 essentially excludes attention to form/vehicle/medium/manner, and so entails treating images as wholly transparent.R1 and R2 are incompatible.Hence, nothing can be both erotic art and pornography; or at the least, nothing can be coherently projected as both erotic art and pornography.1I have argued elsewhere ..

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Hans Maes
University of Kent

Citations of this work

Drawing the Line: Art versus Pornography.Hans Maes - 2011 - Philosophy Compass 6 (6):385-397.

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References found in this work

Erotic art and pornographic pictures.Jerrold Levinson - 2005 - Philosophy and Literature 29 (1):228-240.
Art and pornography.Hans Maes - 2009 - Journal of Aesthetic Education 43 (3):pp. 107-116.

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