Catharine MacKinnon On Sex and Violence

Violence: Much of MacKinnon's argument is to redefine violence in terms of its effects on the victim rather than in terms of some objective assessment of an action that can be called violence.

Sex: In part, she defines sex itself as violence.

Eroticism: Something that is sexually arousing without involving violence.

MacKinnon states at the outset that she is discussing and unifying four issues--rape, sexual harassment, pornography, and battery--each seen as an example of violence against women. She also begins by answering critics who would ask if she is against sex when she talks of these things as violence, Her argument here is somewhat convoluted, but in some sense she does seem to be against normal sex as well as these examples of violence because she says that the feminists use the word "violence" in order not to be charged with being against sex. She does make it clear that she believes women have a different view of sex and violence than do men, and it is this point of view--this subjective point of view, as opposed to the objective male definitions--that she is explaining.

Some types of violence she sees as defined by males, so she

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sert that we are fighting for the affirmative definition and control of our own sexuality. . . we have already been bought" (418). MacKinnon's point is made in this last line. PLAUSIBILITY/STRENGTH OF EVIDENCE 1. Plausible 2. Suggestive 3. Suggestive 4. Improbable 5. Plausible PHASE III APPLICATION/OTHER KNOWLEDGE MacKinnon's argument is muddied by the confusion that prevails over what a definition of violence should be, and at key points she fails to differentiate violence and sex in a way that gives violence any real meaning except what the individual wants it to mean. MY BELIEFS MacKinnon is right that women have to assert their point of view, but she only confuses the issue by insisting that definitions are as flexible as she seems to make them. PHASE I Cornel West, author of "Race Matters," is a professor of religion and the director of Afro-American studies at Princeton University. He has written a book on the issue of race and philosophy--The American Evasion of Philosophy and Race Matters. DEFINITIONS Race: Differences between people based on skin color and ethnic background. Liberal: The left in American politics, marked by a desire to use government programs to solve s
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Some common words found in the essay are:
MAJOR THEMES/CLAIMS, Rodney King, ARGUMENT MacKinnon, Race Matters, MAIN MacKinnon's, PLAUSIBILITY/STRENGTH EVIDENCE, KNOWLEDGE West's, Violence MacKinnon's, BELIEFS West's, Race Differences, sex violence, race matters, black people, evidence 1 plausible, major themes/claims 1, plausible 2, 1 plausible, king verdict, rodney king, evidence 1, views race, phase iii application/other, example violence women, mackinnon's argument, plausibility/strength evidence 1,
Approximate Word count = 1551
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)

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