Quillette Podcast How Universities Should Regulate Contentious Speech
Nov 2, 2024
Cass Sunstein, a Harvard legal scholar and author, discusses his insights on free speech in universities. He emphasizes the importance of a diverse marketplace of ideas while navigating the complexities of emotional responses to criticisms. Sunstein advocates for a principled approach to speech regulation and suggests that informal dialogue is more effective than punitive measures. He also highlights the tensions between institutional loyalty and open discourse, arguing that confronting challenging discussions is crucial for growth in academic environments.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
The Graveyard of Opinion
- Cass Sunstein shares Justice Robert Jackson's quote: "Compulsory unification of opinion achieves only the unanimity of the graveyard."
- This emphasizes the danger of suppressing diverse viewpoints in any setting.
Extrapolating First Amendment Principles
- Jonathan Kay suggests extrapolating First Amendment principles to other countries and institutions.
- Sunstein agrees, advocating for these principles in private universities and corporations to foster intellectual diversity.
The F-Bomb Incident
- Sunstein recounts a classroom experience where a student used profanity.
- He addressed it by expressing amusement and subtly reinforcing classroom norms, avoiding formal punishment.