tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172766774137902766.post8738441440763316400..comments2023-12-23T09:28:20.869+00:00Comments on The View from Cullingworth: The progressive left don't believe in free speech - and will redefine speech to pretend otherwise...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172766774137902766.post-6322390646672576472014-10-31T13:12:14.467+00:002014-10-31T13:12:14.467+00:00Whilst there are good points here, I think there a...Whilst there are good points here, I think there are problems also.<br /><br />Firstly, a ultimate bar on free speech - legal restraint - needs to pass barriers of severity and intent. To accidentally offend is no more criminal than to accidentally tread on someone's foot. Severity would demand that there has been a significant "subordination" of another. There is undoubtedly a balancing act for where intent (/gross negligence) and severity apply, but that's just one of innumerable balancing acts society works on. I don't believe there is anything that needs to be said in society so offensive that it must fall foul of the law.<br /><br />Perhaps a more significant complaint in this regard is sub-legal dampening of free speech - This mainly via the stigma of being branded racist, sexist, etc. However, someone who would say the potentially offensive objecting to this strikes me as just objecting to being offended in return. I can feel free to offend you, but you shouldn't object with what I deem offensive in return.<br /><br />Perhaps we can reasonably ask that if someone has something important to say that may be deemed offensive, they should have the strength of character to say it accepting the risks of consequences. Not lay blame at the feet of supposed PC progressive tyrants who don't actually have the authority they are implied to.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172766774137902766.post-79831337919736901682014-10-29T19:29:51.971+00:002014-10-29T19:29:51.971+00:00Very well put.
It is the perfidious nature of PC t...Very well put.<br />It is the perfidious nature of PC tgat limits the words than can be used and now the overriding fear of offending anyone that is leading g to the death of the enlist enemy , tgat seems to be dying across Europe.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9172766774137902766.post-82748802842776386792014-10-29T17:36:53.518+00:002014-10-29T17:36:53.518+00:00As I understand it, Austin's notion of perform...As I understand it, Austin's notion of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Performative_utterance" rel="nofollow">performative utterances</a> covers familiar speech acts such as 'I now pronounce you husband and wife' and oaths, promises, resignations etc, which merely by being spoken in the appropriate circumstances change the circumstances.<br /><br />To extend this to giving and taking offence seems to stretch the concept well past breaking point. Kenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03493440163559858462noreply@blogger.com