ABSTRACT
Progressive political projects seem to be caught in a double-bind vis-à-vis the state and its coercive powers. This chapter outlines the risks of disregarding the enabling role of the state, particularly the consequences of anti-statism for disenfranchised groups. Instead of an ideal theory of the state, the effort here is to rethink the role of state in the context of debates surrounding racist hate speech. While some reject state censorship, others advocate that the state is responsible for protecting historically discriminated individuals and groups from injurious speech acts. These contrary positions reveal the impossibility of taking any unequivocal for or against position vis-à-vis the coercive powers of the state, which is like pharmakon namely, both poison and medicine. Exploring the ethical and political dilemmas regarding the state, the chapter hopes to contribute to the vexed project of reimagining the state and our difficult relation to it.
