Re: rape and the legal system

On Wed, 12 Jan 2000, Clare O'Farrell wrote:

> In 1980 Monique Plaza claimed that Foucault had argued for the
> decriminilisation of rape - . This view of Foucault's position has since
> been echoed by writers such as de Lauretis and Lois McNay and others. McNay
> states for example that 'Foucault argues that rape should be decriminilised
> and treated as an act of violence, like other acts of aggression, rather
> than as a sexual act.'
>
> I was wondering if anybody knew of any writing which disputes this
> interpretation of Foucault's position?

No, but it's fairly clear from the interview presumably in question--the
one titled "Confinement, Psychiatry, Prison" in _Politics, Philosophy,
Culture_--that Foucault does *suggest* that position, that he has a
certain sympathy for it, but that he has serious reservations about it. He
certainly doesn't "argue" for it.

Matthew


Partial thread listing: