Excitable Speech: A Politics of the Performative

Excitable Speech by Judith Butler examines the power of language to wound and linguistic violence as its own kind of violence. She argues that speech is 'excitable and fluid, shaped by fantasy, context, and power structures' and urges caution concerning the use of legislation to restrict and censor speech. She also shows how languages oppositional power resides in its insubordinate and dynamic nature and its capacity to appropriate and defuse words that usually wound.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 188 pages
Publication date: 30 March 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

When we claim to have been injured by language, what kind of claim do we make?

Judith Butler's Excitable Speech is widely regarded as a groundbreaking work and one of her most significant contributions to the field. In this book, Butler delves into discussions surrounding hate speech, pornography, and homosexuality within the US military. She argues that words can cause harm and that linguistic violence is a distinct form of violence. However, she also contends that speech is inherently "excitable and fluid," as its effects often transcend the control of the speaker, influenced by fantasy, context, and power structures.

In a novel and audacious approach, Butler cautions against the use of legislation to restrict and censor speech, particularly in cases where harmful language is embraced by aesthetic practices to mitigate and oppose the injury, as seen in rap and popular music. While speech can be derogatory and demeaning, it can also serve as a form of recognition and enable us to respond. Injurious speech can reinforce power structures, but it can also replicate power in ways that distinguish language from its harmful effects. Through her skillful exploration, Butler demonstrates how the oppositional power of language lies in its insubordinate and dynamic nature, as well as its ability to appropriate and defuse words that typically cause harm.

Furthermore, Butler seeks to account for why some forms of clearly hateful speech are considered iconic of free speech, while others are more readily subjected to censorship. In the context of ongoing debates between advocates of freedom of speech and "no platform" and "cancel culture," the message of Excitable Speech remains more pertinent than ever.

This Routledge Classics edition includes a new preface by Butler, where she examines speech and language in the context of contemporary forms of political polarization.

Weight: 274g
Dimension: 138 x 216 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367705244