Article,
Speech Acts and Unspeakable Acts
Philosophy and Public Affairs, 22 (4): 293-330 (Fall 1993)
Abstract
Pornography is speech, according to the law. Pornography is a kind of act, according to anti-pornography feminist Catherine MacKinnon. Put these together, and pornography is a kind of speech act. Feminist claims that pornography subordinates and silences women have been dismissed as confused and incoherent, but interpreted in the light of Austinian speech act theory the claims are coherent, but interpreted in the light of Austinian speech act theory the claims are coherent and plausible. Pornography subordinates because it is a kind of illocutionary act: it ranks women, legitimates discriminatory behavior towards them, deprives them of powers. Pornography silences because it prevents women from making certain illocutionary acts: it makes certain speech acts unspeakable.
