Symposium Abstract

April Hall

Department of History and Philosophy

The Harm of Pornography: An Argument for Limited Legislation

Pornography harms women. Yet the pornography industry is among the most thriving. I shall discuss and evaluate Catharine MacKinnon’s arguments supporting legislative restrictions on pornography in light of criticisms raised by Alisa Carse. I shall argue that both MacKinnon’s legislative approach and Carse’s social approach are unsuitable for the challenge of eliminating pornography’s harm. I maintain that we can appeal to both strategies to formulate an argument for limited legislation that better meets the challenge.

Session C — 11:30 a.m. — Gallery II.

April Hall

Department of History and Philosophy

Is Epistemic Freedom Enough to Generate Moral Responsibility?

Libertarian incompatibilists, such as Robert Kane, hold that moral responsibility depends on the existence of metaphysical freedom, or free will. I shall examine Kane’s theory of metaphysical freedom and his account of moral responsibility, after which I shall explore three criticisms of Kane’s account offered by Daniel C. Dennett. I maintain that Dennett’s criticisms are correct and that epistemic freedom is indeed enough to generate an acceptable theory of moral responsibility.

Session B — 10:15 a.m. — Reception Room.