Phenomenology and Mind

No. 11 (2016): Emotions, Normativity, and Social Life
Session 3. Emotions, Language, and Hate Speech

Slurs: Semantic Content, Expressive Content and Social Generics

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  • Federico Cella
DOI: https://doi.org/10.13128/Phe_Mi-20114

Published 2017-01-04

Keywords

  • slurs,
  • social generics,
  • stereotypes,
  • Jeshion

How to Cite

Cella, F. (2017). Slurs: Semantic Content, Expressive Content and Social Generics. Phenomenology and Mind, (11), 140–148. https://doi.org/10.13128/Phe_Mi-20114
Copyright Notice

Abstract

Slurs are offensive expressions targeting individuals on the basis of their membership to certain social groups. Some authors have argued that the offensiveness of slurs is related to the semantic encoding of stereotypes in their meaning. As noticed by Robin Jeshion (2011, 2013a, 2013b), the stereotypical strategies do not seem to provide a satisfactory analysis of slurs’ functional traits. Herein, I propose to modify her view by making a distinction between two offensive dimensions of slurs: a negative expressive component encoded in the semantic content and directed toward a certain group of individuals, and the social generics related to that group conveyed as conversational implicatures.

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