Hate Speech in Public Discourse: A Pessimistic Defense of Counterspeech
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Authors
Publication Date
2017-01-01Journal Title
Social Theory and Practice
ISSN
0037-802X
Publisher
Philosophy Documentation Center
Language
eng
Type
Article
This Version
AM
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Lepoutre, M. (2017). Hate Speech in Public Discourse: A Pessimistic Defense of Counterspeech. Social Theory and Practice https://doi.org/10.5840/soctheorpract201711125
Abstract
Jeremy Waldron, among others, has forcefully argued that public hate speech assaults the dignity of its targets. Without denying this claim, I contend that it fails to establish that bans, rather than counterspeech, are the appropriate response. By articulating a more refined understanding of counterspeech, I suggest that counterspeech constitutes a better way of blocking hate speech’s dignitarian harm. In turn, I address two objections: according to the first, which draws on contemporary philosophy of language, counterspeech does not block enough hate speech; according to the second, counterspeech blocks too much speech. Although these objections should qualify our optimism regarding counterspeech, I demonstrate that each can be turned, with even greater force, against hate speech bans.
Sponsorship
This research was supported by a AHRC doctoral studentship, grant number: AH/L503897/1.
Identifiers
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.5840/soctheorpract201711125
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/269589
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