试析19世纪末美国的淫秽物品标准

Analysis of American Obscenity Standard in the End of 19th Century

在美国早期历史上,淫秽物品的数量不多,政府调控又得到民众的普遍支持,所以有关淫秽物品的标准并没有确定。在内战后,淫秽物品因其市场的扩大和社会净化运动的兴起,成为一个全国性的议题。社会各界人士在普遍赞成查禁淫秽物品的同时,对淫秽物品的含义界定存在分歧,遂希望由法院制定明确的司法标准。在这种背景下,纽约法院在1879年的"合众国诉贝内特案"引入希克林标准,后经最高法院的确认,成为美国各级法院评判淫秽物品的主导原则。然而,到世纪之交,随着内在的道德话语受到动摇,希克林标准开始遭到社会各界的广泛质疑。

In the early American stage, the quantity of obscenity was small, and government regulations had general support, which was not necessary to develop obscenity test. After the Civil War, obscenity became a national issue , owing to its market expansion and the rise of social society movement , which needed one clear judicial standard by court . Because The Community generally agreeded to suppress obscenity , while disagreed upon the definition of obscenity . In this context, the New York court in ＂United States v. Bennett＂ cited Hieklin test, then affirmed by Supreme Court , became the dominant principle of obscenity test by American courts at all levels. However, At the turn of the century, the Hicklin test was questioned by Community, due to the inherent moral discourse was shaken.