Clearer Thinking with Spencer Greenberg

Censorship, cancel culture, and truth-seeking (with Iona Italia)

May 24, 2023

01:06:09

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Episode notes

Introduction

4min

The Importance of Calling for Action

3min

The Role of Free Speech in Civilization

4min

The Pressure on Freedom of Expression

2min

The Importance of Having a Good Conversation

3min

The Importance of Not Harming People

4min

The Importance of Saying Something That's True and Important

2min

The Importance of Accurate Knowledge

4min

The Genetic Hypothesis and the Socially Constructed Hypothesis

3min

10.

The Conflict Around Controversial Research

4min

11.

The Dangers of Free Speech

2min

12.

The Importance of a Two-Party System

4min

13.

The Importance of Hindu Nationalism in India

3min

14.

Hindu Nationalism and the Caste System

2min

15.

The Importance of Answering Open-Ended Questions About Yourself

3min

16.

The Negative View of Religion in Modern Times

4min

17.

The Evolution of Religion

5min

18.

The Universal Need for Spirituality

2min

19.

The Correlation Between Religious Belief and Happiness

3min

20.

The Problem With Secularism

2min

21.

The Eye of the Beholder

3min

22.

The Benefits of Insurance

2min

When is a certain speech act an opinion versus a call to action? Does that distinction matter for censorship purposes? Why does it seem that human behavior tends towards censorship rather than towards freedom of expression? Is feeling emotionally or politically harmed a valid reason for censoring certain speech acts? Will it always be the case that, given enough time, truth will win out over ignorance, bullshit, misinformation, and lies? What are the necessary and sufficient conditions for creating a society in which truth wins at the end of the day? Why are citizens so often attracted to populist and/or fascist ideologies and political parties? What value does religion provide to a society?

Iona Italia is the editor-in-chief of Areo Magazine and the host of its Two for Tea podcast. Iona is the author of two books: Anxious Employment (a study of eighteenth-century essayists) and Our Tango World (sociological and philosophical musings on dance and life). She holds a PhD in English Literature from Cambridge University and publishes weekly creative non-fiction pieces on her Substack, The Second Swim. Her background includes a decade in academe and a 12-year career as a tango dancer and teacher. Iona lives in London with four old friends. She loves dancing, running, choral singing, chess, dogs, and sci-fi.

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