ABSTRACT
This chapter gives a conceptual analysis of what “objectification” is in a sexual context, and lays out the territory for why or under what conditions objectification is wrong—and when it might possibly be permissible or even desirable. Common examples of sexual objectification include viewing pornography, the pornography industry itself, sex work—that is, the exchange of sex for money—casual or one-sided sex, in which love and intimacy are absent, and valuing people only for their appearance or sexual attractiveness. The most obvious problem with objectification is that it treats a multi-dimensional person as if they are simply a body or a thing and thus denies or negates their personhood and humanity. But some objectification may seem ethical and even quite appealing—as when lovers are so inflamed by passion that they temporarily attend only to their partners’ bodies or sexuality, ignoring their broader personhood. Here we consider: if sexual objectification can be bad but can also be acceptable or even good, then is there some way to draw that distinction, and if so, how?
