I’ve read through the comments thus far, but relatively quickly, so please point out and forgive if any of this is exact rehash.
First, and directly concerning text in the post: one of the listed Ways to Objectify is denial of autonomy, and that is discussed briefly after the list. In later examples, lukeprog describes how we…
″...all use each other as means to an end, or as objects of one kind or another, all the time. And we can do so while respecting their autonomy.”
The post implicitly casts denial of autonomy as the defining Bad Thing about objectification. On the surface, I’d agree that that is one of, if not the most inherently negative aspect of objectification, but I need to think about it some more.
Ultimately, I do not think objectification (action with one or more of the listed traits) is necessarily a Bad Thing; if I did it would place me in the anti-pornography, anti consensual sadomasochism camp of feminism, which of course involves a desire to restrict the autonomy of adults… and while that circle isn’t usually trotted out as an argument for why objectification isn’t inherently bad, the symmetry is worth noting, at the least. It also lends some sense to the idea that denial of autonomy is, in fact, the major problematic factor out of those listed.
On the broad scale, I’m inclined to agree that the feminist argument against objectification is primarily utilitarian rather than categorical (and utilitarian for all the reasons that various people have already explained). The feminist utilitarian arguments (of which the rape culture argument is one) also usually depend on the unequal circumstances of women in current society. The takeaway message should then be to be aware of and understand how and to what extent you’re interacting with, and yes—objectifying—people you meet. If you’re a photographer who hires a model for a photoshoot, the resultant photos are going to involve several aspects of objectification, but (presumably) no harm or attack on the model. If you’re treating a woman who works with you in some manner that is not dependent on her appearance with any of the listed behaviors beyond instrumentality, you’re committing harm.
Having said that, it should also be fairly obvious that I don’t consider instrumentality a problem.
I’ve read through the comments thus far, but relatively quickly, so please point out and forgive if any of this is exact rehash.
First, and directly concerning text in the post: one of the listed Ways to Objectify is denial of autonomy, and that is discussed briefly after the list. In later examples, lukeprog describes how we…
″...all use each other as means to an end, or as objects of one kind or another, all the time. And we can do so while respecting their autonomy.”
The post implicitly casts denial of autonomy as the defining Bad Thing about objectification. On the surface, I’d agree that that is one of, if not the most inherently negative aspect of objectification, but I need to think about it some more.
Ultimately, I do not think objectification (action with one or more of the listed traits) is necessarily a Bad Thing; if I did it would place me in the anti-pornography, anti consensual sadomasochism camp of feminism, which of course involves a desire to restrict the autonomy of adults… and while that circle isn’t usually trotted out as an argument for why objectification isn’t inherently bad, the symmetry is worth noting, at the least. It also lends some sense to the idea that denial of autonomy is, in fact, the major problematic factor out of those listed.
On the broad scale, I’m inclined to agree that the feminist argument against objectification is primarily utilitarian rather than categorical (and utilitarian for all the reasons that various people have already explained). The feminist utilitarian arguments (of which the rape culture argument is one) also usually depend on the unequal circumstances of women in current society. The takeaway message should then be to be aware of and understand how and to what extent you’re interacting with, and yes—objectifying—people you meet. If you’re a photographer who hires a model for a photoshoot, the resultant photos are going to involve several aspects of objectification, but (presumably) no harm or attack on the model. If you’re treating a woman who works with you in some manner that is not dependent on her appearance with any of the listed behaviors beyond instrumentality, you’re committing harm.
Having said that, it should also be fairly obvious that I don’t consider instrumentality a problem.