Against content theories of slurs, according to which slurs have some kind of derogatory content, Anderson and Lepore have objected that they cannot explain that even slurs under quotation can cause offense. If slurs had some kind of derogatory content, the argument goes, quotation would render this content inert and, thus, quoted slurs should not be offensive. Following this, Anderson and Lepore propose that slurs are offensive because they are prohibited words. In this paper, we will show that, pace Anderson and Lepore, content theories of slurs do provide an explanation of the fact that quoted slurs can cause offense: even under quotation, the explanation goes, the derogatory content of a slur can still be psychologically efficacious. We will go one step further by pointing out that offensiveness is not the only function of slurs, but that slurs can also be used to create and reinforce negative attitudes towards the target group. While content theories can easily explain this by referring to some kind of derogatory content, Anderson and Lepore’s prohibitionism will lack a satisfactory explanation of this second function of slurs. Concluding, we will argue that, unlike uses of slurs, uses of quoted slurs normally do not derogate the target group. This will again speak in favor of content theories. Accordingly, uses of quoted slurs are not derogatory because quotation renders the derogatory content inert. Hence, rather than speaking against content theories, quoted slurs speak in their favor.

针对诽谤的内容理论，根据诽谤具有某种贬义的内容，安德森和莱波雷反对，他们无法解释即使被引用的诽谤也会引起冒犯。如果诽谤有某种贬义的内容，论点是，引用会使该内容变得惰性，因此，引用的诽谤不应该是冒犯性的。在此之后，安德森和莱波雷提出诽谤是令人反感的，因为它们是被禁止的词。在本文中，我们将证明，安德森和勒波雷的诽谤内容理论确实解释了引用诽谤会引起冒犯的事实：即使在引用下，解释说，诽谤的贬义内容仍然可以在心理上有效。我们将更进一步指出攻击性不是诽谤的唯一功能，但这种诽谤也可以用来制造和强化对目标群体的消极态度。虽然内容理论可以通过引用某种贬义内容来轻松解释这一点，但安德森和莱波雷的禁令将缺乏对诽谤的第二个功能的令人满意的解释。最后，我们将争辩说，与使用诽谤不同，使用引用的诽谤通常不会贬低目标群体。这将再次支持内容理论。因此，引用诽谤的使用不是贬义的，因为引用使贬义内容变得惰性。因此，引用的诽谤不是反对内容理论，而是支持他们。Anderson 和 Lepore 的禁令将缺乏对诽谤的第二个功能的令人满意的解释。最后，我们将争辩说，与使用诽谤不同，使用引用的诽谤通常不会贬低目标群体。这将再次支持内容理论。因此，引用诽谤的使用不是贬义的，因为引用使贬义内容变得惰性。因此，引用的诽谤不是反对内容理论，而是支持他们。Anderson 和 Lepore 的禁令将缺乏对诽谤的第二个功能的令人满意的解释。最后，我们将争辩说，与使用诽谤不同，使用引用的诽谤通常不会贬低目标群体。这将再次支持内容理论。因此，引用诽谤的使用不是贬义的，因为引用使贬义内容变得惰性。因此，引用的诽谤不是反对内容理论，而是支持他们。