The Weaponization of Language

If language has the power to make visible, to disclose all, as Klemperer once wrote, what does the weaponization of speech and language mean for today’s culture? Populist imperatives circulate as tweets, far-right threats are captured in memes, and racist comments invade users’ profiles: networks of hate are empowered by the virality of verbal and visual communication. The instrumentalization of words and phrases is enhanced by the ways networks automatically operate and process information; it reveals the darkest side of the attention economy and performative network culture. How can this weaponization of language be addressed, and which forms of counter-speech can still be developed? Looking into vocabularies of violence, forms of hate speech, and the role of mediated communication, the speakers of this panel will discuss the function of language in a period of resentment and distrust.