In praise of profanity!

As we all contemplate the power of profanity that dominates discourse on digital platforms, the last defender of virtue, Scottish philosopher Alasdair MacIntyre, passed away a few weeks ago. There was an urgent need for this philosopher, who called for a move away from darkness towards a rational moral society, and fortunately his book After Virtue has been translated into Arabic.

Vulgar language prevails in how people define themselves on their platforms, using their real´-or-pseudonymous names, expressing the disaster that befalls humans when they define themselves by what they hate´-or-utter the ugliest words they have invented in languages!

This cannot be attributed to the freedom available without responsibility on social media, but rather to an easy race inherent in the minds of those who randomly utter these words, because they are unable to celebrate polite language to express themselves and what they believe in!

McIntyre, who passed away at the age of 96, was a beacon of hope in a time of moral confusion, arguing before the fragmentation of standards of civility in discourse on social media that morality had suffered a catastrophe similar to that which human knowledge might suffer.

In theory, world leaders could follow President Donald Trump s lead and unleash a barrage of insults. But it is hard to imagine many who would dare to do so. And even if they did, they might not get away with it. Part of the reason Trump can get away with it is that he does not seem to deviate from his colloquial style behind the scenes. He does not seem embarrassed when he swears. Despite his attempts to appear presidential and elegant, and despite being born into a wealthy family, Trump is at heart a brash, manipulative New Yorker. The president s example does not distance us from the general public and those who appear on television, trading insults among themselves and hurling them at society, its values, and the beliefs of others.

Some cities have laws that fine people for swearing in public, but foul language has become the norm in the digital age.

Nothing compares to the contradiction in our attitude towards insults and foul language. How can we judge foul language so harshly in principle, yet people use it so frequently in practice? Although profanity is more acceptable today than ever before, it is still described as rude,´-or-at best only acceptable in certain circumstances.

Many argue that swearing indicates a lack of character´-or-poor upbringing, something to be avoided at all costs. However, many of us are indifferent to the dangers of profanity-;- swear words are clearly recorded in dictionaries and are commonly used in mainstream music, Oscar-winning films, books, and newspapers. And, of course, ordinary people use them in their everyday conversations.

Worse still, some people defend profanity and see obscene words as serving a purpose. In his book In Praise of Swearing, Michael Adams presents a provocative and bold defence of swear words, arguing that we have oversimplified swear words by categorising them as taboo, and that we consistently fail to appreciate them as a legitimate means of expressing ourselves, both in our social relationships and in popular culture.

Adams, whom I must be careful not to fall into his linguistic trap and choose my words carefully in expressing my disapproval of his disgraceful defence of profanity, weaves linguistic and psychological analyses of why we use profanity to vent our feelings. He goes even further in his ideas when he sees swear words as a means of strengthening collective solidarity´-or-building intimate relationships!

I will suffice here with quoting the Oxford University Press definition of Michael Adams book as ‘a provocative and unapologetic defence of swear words in modern society.’

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