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Liberatory Speech

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  Liberatory Speech The Architecture of Communication That Sets Minds Free Abstract Freedom of speech is usually understood negatively: the absence of censorship, prohibition, or punishment for expression. But freedom possesses another dimension. Human beings can be technically permitted to speak while remaining psychologically intimidated, epistemically disoriented, linguistically impoverished, socially discredited, conversationally dominated, or incapable of articulating what they perceive. A society may therefore possess freedom of speech without possessing much freedom through speech. This paper develops the concept of Liberatory Speech : Communication that increases another person’s capacity to perceive, understand, formulate, question, articulate, revise, disagree, testify, create, choose, and participate meaningfully in shared reality. Liberatory Speech is not simply pleasant speech. It may challenge. Correct. Confront. Expose. Refuse. Warn. Criticize. L...
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Suppressive Speech

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  Suppressive Speech Toward a Theory of Linguistic Pressure, Communicative Domination, and the Liberation of Human Voice Abstract We normally think about the suppression of speech as something done to speech from the outside . A government bans a book. A platform removes a message. An employer prohibits discussion of a subject. A censor prevents words from being published or transmitted. But there is another possibility. Speech itself can suppress speech. A person can use language, tone, repetition, interruption, ridicule, intimidation, conversational occupation, status, framing, accusation, or sheer vocal pressure in ways that diminish another person's ability to speak, think, testify, object, question, organize, resist, or even formulate an alternative interpretation of reality. This phenomenon can be called Suppressive Speech . Suppressive Speech is not merely offensive language. It is not identical to hate speech, propaganda, censorship, deception, coercion, persuasion,...
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