In the past, Martha Nussbaum has spoken of her own experiences with date rape and sexual harassment. She brings a philosopher’s cool dispassion to her examination of sexual assault, becoming a voice of reason amidst the shrill cacophony of resentment and denial. A professor of law and ethics at the University of Chicago, Nussbaum calls for balancing accountability with due process. Whether women are the victims or not (she examines the case of predatory conductor James Levine), unhealthy pride—leading to narcissism and dehumanizing the victim—is the moral root of the problem as she sees it. The objectivization of people that became integral to consumer culture—mostly but not entirely of women—encourages sexual assault. Nussbaum also has many interesting things to say about sexual abuse in professional sports and performing arts, where great stars became wrapped up with ego and power.
