Research Group
in Analytic Philosophy

Abstract

Slurs are ethnically derogatory terms but it is not clear why exactly they are derogatory. A view of slurs has to explain derogation and also the understanding of slurs as these two are obviously connected. Slurs offend us because we understand them. In this talk, I introduce a novel view. I call it an epistemic view. It explains the understanding of slurs with a simple coextensionality claim. At the same time, it explains derogation by connecting slurs with epistemically objectionable information.