I often find it difficult to relate to philosophy of language. It's hard for me to find any personal meaning in discussions of the 'signifier' and 'signified' etc. because defining and clarifying the concepts of philosophy of language seem so abstract and removed from anything that relates to my life.
I find it very ironic, considering recent allegations that Peter Ludlow was the one to actually point out to me the possibilities of philosophy of language for social justice. Shortly before his allegations went public, he was invited to speak at McMaster University, and his talk made me realize that language has the power to point out our experiences in new ways, to bend our perception of reality. Consider, for example, the difference between using the phrase 'enhanced interrogation' to 'torture'. I was surprised to realize that many of the things I found interesting about communication theory--its capacity to be subversive, critical, and political--could also be within the realm of philosophy of language. Philosophy of language wasn't just the dry, removed, and abstract.
I was reminded of this recently when I came across a webcomic by one of my new favorite artists, RobotHugs. The comic explains how our normalized use of language imports classism, racism, sexism and other biases. As educated people, we tend to pride ourselves on our ability to navigate the norms of language, but it is important to remember how these norms can also be harmful. Gradually I'm realising that philosophy of language can be very fruitful, interesting, and relevant to people's lives. I might not be the one to analyse definitions of advocate for a specific linguistic theory, but I can see how these debates impact people. The idea of a critical, empathetic philosophy of language is something I can really connect to.
This is why I'm currently organizing a talk on slur reclamation. My mentor and friend Sandra DeVries is going to be speaking sometime in March and I'm really excited because I feel like this is something I have a lot to learn about, and I'm surprised to find that I'm gradually becoming more and more interested in a subject I took for granted for so long. I guess that's the way life is--there is always something new and surprising to learn!
