Just Words

On Speech and Hidden Harm

Dados Bibliográficos

ID19971037
AutoresMary Kate Mcgowan (Margaret Clapp '30 Distinguished Alumna Professor of Philosophy, Wellesley College, autor correspondente)
Ano2019
Páginas224
Data de publicação2019-02-14
Open AccessNão
TipoBOOK
PeriódicoJust Words (SOURCE_BOOK)
EditoraOxford University PressOxford (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1093/oso/9780198829706.001.0001
OpenAlexW4251729746
Open LibraryOL28702878M
ISBN9780198829706
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas67
Referências citadas71

We all know that speech is harmful but we need to be as clear as possible about what the harms are and how the speech in question brings about those harms. Clarity on these two points is important for jurisprudential reasons. It is also important for social, political, and moral reasons. Just Words identifies a previously overlooked mechanism by which speech constitutes, rather than merely causes, harm. Speech constitutes harm when it enacts a norm that prescribes that harm (so that following the norm brings about the harm). Just Words argues that there is a ubiquitous but hidden way that speech enacts norms thereby highlighting important but previously overlooked constitutive connections between speech and harm. The investigation begins in the kinematics of conversation where it is argued that conversational contributions (surreptitiously but routinely) enact highly localized norms for the very conversation to which they contribute. It is then argued that the phenomenon generalizes to extra-conversational social practices. Just Words explores many categories of speech including sexist remarks, racist hate speech, pornography, verbal triggers for stereotype threat, micro-aggressions, political dog whistles, SLAM poetry, and even the hanging of posters. It also explores a variety of harms including oppression, subordination, discrimination, domination, harassment, and marginalization. In addition to exploring how speech enacts such harms, Just Words also explores ways to remedy those harms

Harm · Linguistics · Speech recognition · Computer Science · Feminist Epistemology and Gender Studies · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Philosophy · Political Philosophy and Ethics · Psychology · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology · Hate speech · Sociolinguistics