Genocide Denialism as Testimonial Oppression
Abstract
In this paper, I investigate whether and how genocide denial may perpetrate testimonial oppression against members of the former victim group. I do so by looking at the practice of genocide denial in contexts of state-sponsored, institutionalized, historical genocide denialism, such as it paradigmatically occurs in Turkey with regard to the Armenian genocide of 1915–16.First, I illustrate how genocide denialism produces reliable ignorance through factual andnormative distortions that aim at sustaining a system of Turkish domination of Armenians.Secondly, I demonstrate that under these conditions, hearers will reliably fail to meet thedependencies of a speaker testifying to genocide. Thirdly, I argue that in cases where thishappens to members of the former victim group, genocide denial is not only epistemicallyharmful, but will constitute an epistemic wrong insofar as it perpetuates testimonial oppressionof members of the former victim group.
Date Issued
2019-12-06
Publication Type
Conference Item
Subject(s)
Language(s)
en
Author(s)
Additional Credits