Reading Reflection
Judith Butler establishes the many reasons that justify why she believes the idea of empirical objectivity can be challenged. The meaning of empirical objectivity is to judge or assume information based on experience instead of logic, all while not being influenced by personal feelings or opinions. Judith explains why she believes that this is not possible, as she believes that assuming information based on experience is in fact influenced by personal opinion regarding this case. For example, during the trial, the video was interpreted to protect the police instead, where the juror believed that Rodney himself was “endangering the police”. She states that in the white world, “the endangerment that white people see themselves in is shown through the “ready to perform” black person” (Judith Butler, p.19). She believes that white people refigured Rodney as a threat through their own paranoia, or “a visual of their own violence, with believing that violence that is presented as a threat’ (Judith Butler, p.20). This influences the information that was being tried in the case, where white people did have a certain personal belief that judged information and therefore redefined the case. Therefore, empirical objectivity can be challenged in this scenario as it influenced the case via the personal beliefs that white people had.
[bookmark: _Hlk20170946]Some of the many interferences found within Butler’s findings consist of how the trial played out. The prosecutors had broken up the video to aggressively redefine it. This means that what was happening was put in a different context. The video was put in a way that “protects whiteness from the threat of violence – with violence meaning a black person” (Judith Butler, p.23). Judith also explains what the judge was “seeing” as a reading, which demonstrates the idea of paranoia, yet defends cruelty itself when it protects the white individual. When Rodney was getting beaten by the police, the judge believes it to be fair, which causes more violence from “denying the responsibility” of the beating (Judith Butler, pg.20). The belief that Rodney is somehow responsible for the attacks, he caused on himself is a belief based on racist paranoia of others, and the jurors are further increasing this idea based on denying that the police were too brutal.
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Judith Butler uses knowledge to explain racism by referring to the awareness of white privilege that was represented in this article and explaining what was wrong with it. For example, this case reflects on how an innocent black man was attacked by the police, yet somehow caused the attack himself. The article describes how white paranoia can result in racist police violence toward people of color, as shown in this case. This is a case where what is being shown or “seen” in the video evidence, is not being believed. This entire case summarizes that the person of color is seen as a dangerous being, even while being attacked. Our way of “seeing” is based on what we perceive, by different stereotypes of different races, which generalizes the person’s character through the lens of the other person. The article mentions the definition of white racist episteme, as being a “historical habit of reading, that stretches its controlling strength” (Judith Butler, p.22). This means that this case was overpowered by the beliefs of white people and dominated the overall result of the case. This case also demonstrates how there is a high sense of displacing the dangerous intent onto someone else. Judith Butler explains this knowledge as being racist because the jurors are failing to acknowledge that they are in the wrong. They are aware yet choose to ignore it.
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Essay about Judith Butler.
(2022, December 27). Edubirdie. Retrieved December 22, 2024, from https://edubirdie.com/examples/essay-about-judith-butler/
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