Pragmatism, Language Games, and the Philippine Drug War

The words religious leaders use shape how they rationalize President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs. Describing drug users as ‘sinners’, a trope in religious language, can be lethal. Using the pragmatism of Rorty, Brandom, and Tirrell, this paper examines how the term ‘sinner’ functions a pernicious truth-claim in the Philippine drug war. I present how it can inspire hermeneutic uptake, redirect discursive focus, and engender certain social and political actions.