2021/06/03 by Leo Townsend
Arts and Humanities · Social Sciences · #Feminist Epistemology and Gender Studies #Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies #Political Philosophy and Ethics
paper · doi:10.1111/rati.12316
crossref issued 2021/06/03 · crossref published 2021/06/03 · crossref published-online 2021/06/03 · openalex publication_date 2021/06/03 · crossref created 2021/06/04 · crossref published-print 2021/12/01 · crossref deposited 2023/08/29 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · crossref indexed 2026/08/03 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
Abstract According to an influential tradition in speech act theory, it takes more than linguistic mastery and normative entitlement to do things with words; one's words must also be given a suitable reception or social uptake. Working within this tradition, I identify and characterize the phenomenon of discursive paternalism . Discursive paternalism occurs when a party to a speaker's act takes control of the uptake the act receives, with the aim of curating the speaker's commitments. This is done without the prior consent or knowledge of the speaker, and for the perceived good of the speaker. I describe three distinct forms of discursive paternalism, which differ in terms of the role played by the paternalist, and the kind of authority he lays claim to in performing that role.