Who’s to Blame? Hermeneutical Misfire, Forward-Looking Responsibility, and Collective Accountability

Bibliographic Data

ID21503552
AuthorsHilkje Charlotte Hänel (University of Potsdam, corresponding author), Hilkje Hänel (Department of Political Theory, Potsdam University, Potsdam, Germany)
Year2021
Volume35
Issue2
Pages173-184
Publication date2021-03-04
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Epistemology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0269-1728 • E-ISSN: 1464-5297
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/02691728.2020.1839591
OpenAlexW3102382029
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited53

The main aim of this paper is to investigate how sexist ideology distorts our conceptions of sexual violence and the hermeneutical gaps such an ideology yields. I propose that we can understand the problematic issue of hermeneutical gaps about sexual violence with the help of Fricker’s theory of hermeneutical injustice. By distinguishing between hermeneutical injustice and hermeneutical misfire, we can distinguish between the hermeneutical gap and its consequences for the victim of sexual violence and those of the perpetrator of such violence. I then argue that perpetrators are both morally responsible and accountable for their acts, even if they are the result of a hermeneutical misfire. Ultimately, I show that with regard to sexual violence, we should opt for accountability to change the behaviour of the perpetrator and the social structure. Content warning: The paper discusses sexual violence and difficulties conceptualising experiences of such violence

Accountability · Blame · Criminology · Epistemology · Hermeneutics · Ideology · Injustice · Political science · Politics · Sexual violence · Sociology · Emotions and Moral Behavior · Gender, Security, and Conflict · Law · Philosophy · Psychology · Sexual Assault and Victimization Studies · Social Psychology

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