On the ‘only joking’ defence against offence

In On Taking Offence Emily McTernan argues that when it comes to taking offence there is nothing special about humour. Pointing out that you were ‘only joking’, she argues, will almost always fail to prevent others from being offended at what you’ve said. In this article I argue that McTernan does not correctly identify the conditions under which taking offence at humour is justified. I suggest an alternative view and explore some of its practical implications. <br/><br/>