Perspectives on Pornography Demand Ethical Critique

It takes no more than a cursory review of the literature on pornography to discover the very deep divides that permeate attitudes about the practice. Scholarship on pornography from the political, psychological, sociological, legal, economic, religious, and, of course, ethical traditions reveals that pornography has been hotly contested for years. And the debate shows little sign of ending. Like other disputed issues, most perspectives on pornography have come to represent one of two polarized positions: the strident anti-porn view and the equally strident anti-censorship view. Part I of this chapter examines the state of scholarship on pornography framed around the two polarized perspectives. First, we include a discussion of the competing views, and we lay out various definitions of pornography for consideration. We also summarize the actions and reactions that each side has pursued to further its agenda. We then turn to a critique of the current framing and raise issues that we believe need to be considered in any discussion of pornography’s ethical implications

The Ethics of Speaking Out

This chapter explores the ethical issues associated with celebrities speaking out on social and political issues. It begins with three recent case studies, moves to a discussion of whether speaking out can be considered either universally justifiable or universally unjustifiable, and then presents a four-part test for determining the ethical justifiability of speaking out

The Ethics of Reality TV: A Philosophical Examination

Reality television is flourishing, both in number of new shows and in its ability to continually entice new audiences. The scholarship on reality TV is beginning to catch up, but one of the most enduring questions about the genre - Is it ethical? - has yet to be addressed in any systematic and comprehensive way. Through investigating issues ranging from deception and privacy breaches to community building and democratization of TV, The Ethics of Reality TV explores the ways in which reality TV may both benefit and harm society. This collection features the work of leading scholars in the field of media ethics and provides a comprehensive assessment of key issues surrounding the genre