O poprawności politycznej, tzw. mowie nienawiści i odpowiedzialności za słowo

Abstract

Political correctness constitutes a highly emotive phenomenon. Its proponents advocate measures aimed at counteracting discrimination against certain minority groups, whereas its critics—without necessarily disputing this objective—express reservations concerning, at the very least, the means proposed to achieve it. This article examines the key issues associated with this phenomenon in relation to the notion of verbal responsibility. The analysis encompasses not only the broadly conceived concept of political correctness (including, inter alia, efforts to address so called ‘hate speech’) but also selected strategies for implementing its postulates. The paper proposes a definition in which ‘responsibility for one’s words’ is understood as an obligation to accept the consequences of a given utterance in accordance with the normative requirements established by a particular norm or constellation of norms. The conclusions address several aspects of political correctness as they relate to the interplay between standards of freedom of expression and verbal responsibility.