I won’t even bother with summarizing or linking to the most recent debacle in the Philosophy blogosphere. Instead, I’ll just note that, commensurate with the rest of the nation, the discipline of Philosophy has a real problem determining between when one ought and ought not “tone-police.”
I’ve said my peace (here) before about tone-policing and/or other insistences of codified civility and collegiality norms, which I think disproportionately advantage the already-advantaged. I just want to note here that I do not think that what gets called “tone-policing” is always out of order. Like everything else in this world, and most of all policing, it’s a matter of being sensitive to the power-dynamics at work between those regulating/policing norms and those challenging the norms that are being regulated/policed.
So, here’s a handy infographic I put together as guide to policing one’s own tendency to tone-police. You’re free to download it here if you like.
