

#368 - Freedom & Censorship
11 snips May 21, 2024
Greg Lukianoff and Sam Harris discuss free speech, cancel culture, origins of political correctness, First Amendment principles, technology impact on ideas, social media cancellations, McCarthyism comparisons, self-censorship in academia, Hunter Biden laptop story, handling Trump in media, state of higher education, and more.
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Expansive View of Free Speech
- Free speech includes broad cultural tolerance beyond just legal protections like the First Amendment.
- Speech is protected unless it involves harassment, true threats, or defamation, not merely because it is offensive.
US vs Europe on Speech Laws
- Europe enforces stricter speech laws based on a 'modal national character' that defines offense.
- The U.S. embraces multicultural diversity, making banning offensive speech impractical and unjust.
Value of Knowing All Opinions
- Knowing all opinions, even false conspiracy theories, provides crucial insight into society's beliefs.
- Suppressing offensive or false speech can backfire by emboldening conspiracy theorists instead of correcting falsehoods.