Philosophy Program Presents
Philosophy Colloquium
Thursday, May 5, 2016
Olin Humanities, Room 202
6:15 pm EDT/GMT-4
6:15 pm EDT/GMT-4
Threats from Below
Rachel McKinney, PhD
CUNY Graduate Center
Postdoctoral Associate
Dept. of Linguistics & Philosophy, MIT
CUNY Graduate Center
Postdoctoral Associate
Dept. of Linguistics & Philosophy, MIT
In this paper I discuss the pragmatics of directives embedded in institutions and social structures. I focus in particular on commands and threats, and describe the role such speech acts play in escalation -- that is, in shifting discourse type from deliberation to contention, bargaining, negotiation or parley. I describe "threats from below" as potential motivators for action against background conditions of inequality, domination, and coercion, and highlight the promise and peril of such moves for collective action.
For more information, call 845-758-7280, or e-mail [email protected].
Time: 6:15 pm EDT/GMT-4
Location: Olin Humanities, Room 202