Philosophy
The notion of an utterance seems simple enough. I have a thought I want to express. I select words and a tone in which to express it. I say those words in that way.
But what if the words aren't yours, but you still say them? Quoting someone else still makes it your utterance. You chose Gandhi's words or Hitler's words or Carrot Top's words. And that selection makes the words yours in a sense.
But when Sarah Palin speaks before the Republican National Convention, they will not be her words. not strange, politcal speechwriters have been used for a very long time. What makes this wierd, though, is that according to McCain's campaign manager, the speech existed before a choice was made for VP.The speech was written when there was no such entity as John McCain's running mate. As such, while some tweaking has been done, the speech is, in a very real sense, not her speech.
So, when there are plaudits or harsh criticisms of the speech, whose speech is it? Can we hold the candidate responsible for more than just execution? Is she like an actor? Are we judging a performance the way we would judge the lead in a production of Hamlet? Or is it something else? What do we look for in political oratory? The same words can give rise to very different speeches. Does one claim the speech by giving it, as if having written it?
- The Necessity Of Curse Words
The shorter of the short people has become fascinated with curse words. The idea that there are culturally forbidden sounds makes these sounds interesting. As a reuslt, he's invented his own, nork (the sound made by the Siamese elephants in Tim Conway's...
- Political Correctness Goes Invisible
Nietzsche said that when a political movement triumphs completely, it becomes invisible. Having power, he argues, allows you to shape the lens through which we understand the world and we see through the lens, we don't see the lens. I was listening...
- Power, Strength, And Force
Teaching Arendt today right after the President's speech on Afghanistan, so this seemed like a good question. In the social/political context, what is the difference between power, strength, and force? We tend to use the words interchangeably, but...
- The Odd Legacy Of Political Correctness
Ann Coulter was roundly condemned for using a slur in making a baseless accusation about John Edwards' sexual orientation, John McCain was forced to apologize for referring to the deaths of US servicemen and women as "wasted" ? an odd trend has appeared...
- Freedom Of Speech And Hate Speech
A very interesting post over at phronesisaical where Helmut is discussing legitimate boundaries to free speech. I think his argument is well-thought out and well worth a read, but since we brought up Austin yesterday, might as well keep on the roll. What...
Philosophy
Whose Speech Act Is This?
The notion of an utterance seems simple enough. I have a thought I want to express. I select words and a tone in which to express it. I say those words in that way.
But what if the words aren't yours, but you still say them? Quoting someone else still makes it your utterance. You chose Gandhi's words or Hitler's words or Carrot Top's words. And that selection makes the words yours in a sense.
But when Sarah Palin speaks before the Republican National Convention, they will not be her words. not strange, politcal speechwriters have been used for a very long time. What makes this wierd, though, is that according to McCain's campaign manager, the speech existed before a choice was made for VP.The speech was written when there was no such entity as John McCain's running mate. As such, while some tweaking has been done, the speech is, in a very real sense, not her speech.
So, when there are plaudits or harsh criticisms of the speech, whose speech is it? Can we hold the candidate responsible for more than just execution? Is she like an actor? Are we judging a performance the way we would judge the lead in a production of Hamlet? Or is it something else? What do we look for in political oratory? The same words can give rise to very different speeches. Does one claim the speech by giving it, as if having written it?
- The Necessity Of Curse Words
The shorter of the short people has become fascinated with curse words. The idea that there are culturally forbidden sounds makes these sounds interesting. As a reuslt, he's invented his own, nork (the sound made by the Siamese elephants in Tim Conway's...
- Political Correctness Goes Invisible
Nietzsche said that when a political movement triumphs completely, it becomes invisible. Having power, he argues, allows you to shape the lens through which we understand the world and we see through the lens, we don't see the lens. I was listening...
- Power, Strength, And Force
Teaching Arendt today right after the President's speech on Afghanistan, so this seemed like a good question. In the social/political context, what is the difference between power, strength, and force? We tend to use the words interchangeably, but...
- The Odd Legacy Of Political Correctness
Ann Coulter was roundly condemned for using a slur in making a baseless accusation about John Edwards' sexual orientation, John McCain was forced to apologize for referring to the deaths of US servicemen and women as "wasted" ? an odd trend has appeared...
- Freedom Of Speech And Hate Speech
A very interesting post over at phronesisaical where Helmut is discussing legitimate boundaries to free speech. I think his argument is well-thought out and well worth a read, but since we brought up Austin yesterday, might as well keep on the roll. What...