What is hate speech? The case for a corpus approach

Lepoutre, M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7573-8585, Vilar-Lluch, S., Borg, E. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2725-9568 and Hansen, N. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5074-1075 (2023) What is hate speech? The case for a corpus approach. Criminal Law and Philosophy. ISSN 1871-9805 doi: 10.1007/s11572-023-09675-7

Abstract/Summary

Contemporary public discourse is saturated with speech that vilifies and incites hatred or violence against vulnerable groups. The term “hate speech” has emerged in legal circles and in ordinary language to refer to these communicative acts. But legal theorists and philosophers disagree over how to define this term. This paper makes the case for, and subsequently develops, the first corpus-based analysis of the ordinary meaning of “hate speech.” We begin by demonstrating that key interpretive and moral disputes surrounding hate speech laws—in particular, surrounding their compatibility with the rule of law, democracy, and free speech—depend crucially on the ordinary meaning of “hate speech.” Next, we argue, drawing on recent developments in legal philosophy, that corpus linguistics constitutes a distinctively promising tool for ascertaining the ordinary meaning of “hate speech.” Finally, we offer a proof of concept, by outlining, and analyzing the interpretive and moral implications of, the first such study.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/109726
Identification Number/DOI	10.1007/s11572-023-09675-7
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Arts, Humanities and Social Science > School of Politics, Economics and International Relations > Politics and International Relations Arts, Humanities and Social Science > School of Humanities > Philosophy
Publisher	Springer
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