Living With Men

Gisèle Pelicot's story outraged the world. The sickening parade of crimes to which she was subjected and her betrayal are dark pages in our history. Feminist philosopher Manon Garcia decided to attend the trial and to analyse its resonance for our future. It became the trial that demonstrated that trials will never suffice to serve justice. If the perpetrators, for the most part, seemed so unashamed of what they had done, can we see in their sentencing anything meaningful? If their lawyers defend their clients by relieving them of responsibility for their actions, how will these men, their families, their friends see this trial as anything other than an injustice? If, even as the most explicit proof streamed before the court, the victim was stonewalled with the bland denial of facts, what can juries achieve in cases when the evidence is lacking? The threat of incarceration will never be powerful enough to stop men raping. If trusting the justice system, as those who fret about feminist overreach counsel us to do, gets us nowhere, what do we do? Above all, one question haunted Garcia: under such circumstances, can we live with men? And at what price?

Manon Garcia is a philosopher and professor at Freie Universität Berlin. She is the author of several books, including The Joy of Consent and We Are Not Born Submissive.

Introduction Consent The Old Lady and the Gynaecologist Incest Ordinary Men Masculinity/Masculinities Don't You Want Me Baby To Subdue an Unsubmissive Woman Anger The Trial The Videos Writing Mazan The Normal and the Pathological The Judge in Us A Good Victim Lemaire Dominique P.'s Final Act December 14 Rapeable What Remains of Our Love? You Have to Be a Little Bit Fond of Women Acknowledgements Notes