Abstract

In this paper, I aim to show that consent is a necessary component to sexual encounters in order to prevent the harm and wrong of rape. I outline necessary and sufficient conditions of consent and apply them to various situations that may have more contention about how consent would, or could not, be present in them. I assert that consent is the responsibility of the initiator, and person in power, in the sexual encounter and should be assured to be present by verbal communication.

I assert that rape is wrong and harmful, and it is the responsibility of the person with more relative power in a sexual encounter to avoid rape. Rape’s harm can be separated into core harms, which are experienced in all rapes and aggravating harms, which are experienced in some rapes based on the specific circumstances.

Finally, I discuss the aggravating harms experienced by women who are raped by men. This harm is gender specific because of the hegemonic patriarchal society that all people navigate. Under this society, women are consistently sexually objectified, and sexual objectification is a threat of rape. When that rape is actually made present, women have specialized harms because of the previous existing threat and future threats.

Advisor

Hustwit, Ronald

Department

Philosophy

Disciplines

Feminist Philosophy

Keywords

consent, rape, harm, hurt, ethics, sex ethics, sex, gender, feminist, patriarchy, wrong

Publication Date

2017

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2017 Cassandra L. Huye