Heterodox Out Loud

How Cancel Culture Works with Greg Lukianoff | Ep. 05

Dec 13, 2023

Greg Lukianoff, attorney and President/CEO of FIRE, discusses cancel culture, free speech on college campuses, erosion of public trust, and the importance of non-conformity-inducing pressures in creating a better marketplace of ideas.

55:33

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Episode guests

Greg Lukianoff

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Quick takeaways

Cancel culture creates a culture of fear and a chilling effect on free expression.

The perfect rhetorical fortress in cancel culture prevents meaningful arguments and shuts down productive dialogue.

Cancel culture undermines trust, dismisses expertise, and hinders our ability to solve problems and find common ground.

Deep dives

Understanding cancel culture

Cancel culture is a phenomenon that has gained significant attention in recent years. It refers to campaigns aimed at getting individuals fired, deplatformed, or punished for their protected speech. Cancel culture emerged around 2014 and has since accelerated, targeting individuals who express controversial opinions. It is characterized by the culture of fear it creates, resulting in a chilling effect on free expression. One notable example is the case of Professor Louise Prader, who got in trouble for showing a 14th-century artwork that focused on religious and cultural diversity in her class.

Introduction

3min

The Impact of Cancel Culture on Free Speech and Academic Freedom

25min

The Erosion of Public Trust and Backlash Against Alternative Viewpoints

3min

Trump's Presidency and Cancel Culture

4min

The Controversial Speaker Incident

8min

The Middle Section, Conformity Gauntlet, and Lack of Social Economic Diversity

3min

The Interaction Between Free Speech Rules and Culture

9min

In this episode of Heterodox Out Loud, John Tomasi speaks with Greg Lukianoff, an attorney, New York Times best-selling author, and the President and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). He is the author of Unlearning Liberty: Campus Censorship and the End of American Debate, Freedom From Speech, and FIRE’s Guide to Free Speech on Campus. Most recently, he co-authored The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure with Jonathan Haidt.

We talk with Greg about cancel culture, free speech on college campuses and what universities can do to protect free speech.

Heterodox Out Loud

Heterodox Out Loud with John Tomasi is a biweekly podcast featuring conversations with people across the academy and beyond. Listen to insightful, thought-provoking episodes from the HxA community by adding our podcast to your lineup.

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