Laughing Matters: The Reality of Censorship
"Can there ever be a case for censoring racist or sexist humour? Is this a good idea, especially when such jokes allegedly do not mirror reality in any significant way?" Traci-Lynn Timony PHIL-1013-(40)-23W Dr. Edward Matthews March 5, 2023 One must always begin with basics when deciding on which side of an argument to stand; I cannot think of a more basic beginning than defining the terms in the question to be considered. In the case of determining the validity of censorship in the context of ethics (as it relates to racist or sexist humor), one should begin with the meaning of censorship. Oxford Languages describes censorship as suppressing or prohibiting things considered obscene or unacceptable. The ACLU goes further, using the word “offensive," and discusses “imposing personal (emphasis mine) political or moral values on others.” The next term to define is ethics. Dictionary.com defines it this way; “moral principles that govern a per