And now for some…PORN!!

1. And now for some…PORN!!

2. Recently… • Apple vs. Denmark • http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2010/12/06/one-danish-tabloids-beef-with-apple/ • What is art and what is “lewd”?

3. Pro-porn • Sex-positive • Empower women to express themselves sexually; participate actively • Depict women in powerful situations, enjoying sex; women SEE themselves in sexually powerful positions • Women are choosing to be in these situations • In light of our gender discussion, are women autonomous moral agents?

4. Anti-porn • Andrea Dworkin, Catherine MacKinnon in the late 1980s • Anti-porn ordinances: 1983 Minneapolis and other cities in Canada and U.S. • Porn as hate speech • Porn represents discrimination towards women; made only for men, depicts women in powerless situations • Women are objects to be looked at (gaze), consumed • Women cannot “choose” to be in porn because of their lowered status in society; easily coerced, easy money • Realistically depicting sex?

5. Internet porn • So what’s the difference between video and online? • Move from “underground” to more “mainstream” • Free! • Accessible to most with Internet • More easily distributed • More anonymous

6. Virtual sex • Sex-related activities are performed in online communities, as well as virtual-reality applications such as some video games, Second Life, etc. • Sometimes used to enhance “physical” sex… and sometimes exists solely in this sphere. • Do we then “become” the technology? Cyborgs? • Not “real” – so doesn’t affect us (or them)

7. Virtual sex • Lots of kinds! • Cybersex • Phone sex • Sexting • Chatting • Skype video • Mediated by technology – written, spoken, not “physical”… again, where is this human/machine line? • But isn’t sometimes physical sex also mediated? Combination of both? What is the difference? • Who has access to this type of sex? • Technology raises status?

9. The Issues: Relationships • Changing the nature of our interpersonal relationships • Detachment from actual physical being • If your spouse goes to a brothel, is that worse than watching porn all day on the Internet? • Can you cheat with a machine? • Emotional attachment? • While it isn’t “physical” … could it be considered “emotional” cheating? Will this change our views on cheating? • But where does the line BLUR? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzSiJBduvDA&feature=fvsr

10. The Issues: Anonymous Release • Anonymity: Pros and Cons • Allows for experimentation; helps discover what we “really” like without societal pressures • Could it be a “safe” release for sex offenders, pedophiles? • BUT… • No longer need a distributor; can make illegal, harmful porn without worrying about being caught

11. The issues: Changing views on “reality”? • Sex: • “Real,” physical • We understand it as having the power to hurt someone both physically AND emotionally. • Porn: • Detached; Gaze • But… still potential for harm • Addiction; detachment from spouse; person on screen coerced • Are these exemplified with increased accessibility?

12. Reality continued • Robots/Cyborgs: • Machine or human? Is this different than using a “toy” especially if robots don’t have “feelings”? • Would a human cheating with a robot be “cheating”? Is one robot more human than another? • Humanization of human-robot relationship • Can a robot be accused of “cheating”? • Do we need a particular ethics in our way we treat robots? • Avatars: • Can avatars – or invasion of - cause physical and/or emotional harm/distress?

13. RapeLay • RapeLay • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RapeLay • Simulated rape of young women • Virtual harm? Or harmless fantasy?

14. LAMBDAmoo: “Rape in cyberspace” • LambdaMOO virtual community – oldest and one of the most active, with 3000 players since 1990. Social interactions of avatars, etc. http://www.lambdamoo.info/lambdamoomap/lambdamoomap.htm • Creation of a “voodoo doll” program by an anonymous person/avatar named Mr. Bungle - took over other avatars, and forced them to perform sex acts. • Considered a sexual violation of others’ avatars, and of themselves – suffered actual emotional trauma. • Community couldn’t decide what to do, and one of the moderators terminated Mr. Bungle’s account – users could not seek physical/offline punishment.

15. But it’s just an avatar… • The argument from moral development reasons that: • the way we treat virtual characters can affect the way we treat real-life people. • But then again… maybe this is an outlet so it prevents physical harm from happening? • The argument from psychological harm reasons that: • the way we interact with virtual characters can cause real-life psychological harm

16. Solutions? • But how do we deal with ethical violations in virtual realities? • Cannot prosecute Mr. Bungle because no physical rape occurred • Perhaps sue for emotional distress? • Hard to prove • Hard to find “him”…? • Do we need new “laws” for cyberspace? Or, just apply existing laws? • Major policy vacuum…

17. With great power… • … I won’t say it again. • If you are free to “experiment,” and these worlds are not “real,” is everything okay? Is no one being harmed? • Is it “ethical” to place restrictions on the type of virtual sex engaged in… or is it rather unethical to restrict one’s pleasure? • Who is “harmed”? Do we need a “sex ethics?”