Practical Philosophy Seminar: Magnus Hoel

The objective is to develop a model that can be used to evaluate whether we have a moral duty to refrain from a specific hateful speech act. The model combines insights from the speech theories of Jeffrey Howard and Jeremy Waldron respectively. This paper contributes to the literature on hate speech by showing that a model that combines insights from both their theories has more satisfactory implications than the theories by themselves. I call the model the reasoned harm test. Furthermore, the model is developed in a stylised and structured way so it can be used in practical cases, to investigate our moral duty to refrain from communicating particular hateful speech acts. The model is developed within an analytic structure developed by Howard, which sharply distinguish between questions regarding what the moral duty to refrain from hate speech entails, and questions regarding enforcement of hate speech laws.