Rozbrajając Walczące słowa Judith Butler
Disarming Judith Butler’s Excitable Speech

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this essay is to attempt to engage in polemics with the theory of hate speech endorsed by Judith Butler in her book Excitable Speech. The text will try to show that the Butlerian strategy of textualization of hate speech. If it is understood as a main tool of fighting with injurious speech, fails and, in fact, hinders this fight. The argument will touch both upon the theory and its practical application. On the theoretical level, the deconstruction of J.L. Austin’s speech acts by Butler, along with a similar, earlier treatment of Austin by Derrida, will be criticized. In terms of practice, it will be attempted to view some of the recent, controversial events concerning hate speech through the lens of Butler’s theory, and to show the inadequacies of treating her theory as an effective tool of fighting injurious utterances.

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