Die Sprache des Hasses

Richard Wagner's pamphlet "Judaism in Music" is one of the key texts of the modern anti-Semitism that emerged in the 19th century, which, in contrast to religiously motivated anti-Judaism, defines Judaism in terms of invariant character or racial traits. What has received less attention to date is the style of the writing. It exemplifies the characteristics of a rhetorical genre that has been increasingly discussed internationally in recent years, as there is unfortunately more and more reason to do so: hate speech. "Hate speech", as Judith Butler called her book on the subject. Here, Wagner's text will be used as an example to show how. Of course, this also involves its historical origins. The völkisch cultural nationalism of the "belated nation" (Helmuth Plessner) is expressed here in a complete destruction of rational argumentation.

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