Around the world, freedom of speech is being curtailed both by governments and social prohibitions . In democracies like the UK and Canada (with no first amendment constitutional guarantees,) new laws are being enacted to curtail freedom of speech based on moral prohibitions or supposed instigation of violence against others.
But are these new laws in the interests of liberal society?
In her latest blog post and podcast Helen Pluckrose argues
“Arguably the most persistent misunderstanding about free speech is the assumption that defending someone’s right to say something is equivalent to endorsing or approving of what they said. This is false. A commitment to freedom of speech is a political principle about liberty and power. Truth, principles, morals and manners are separate questions.”
Like almost all Unitarians, we oppose forms of racial, biological or religious , class slander and verbal abuse. However, we also recognize that there has to be limits to our moral right to silence people we find voicing illiberal, morally offensive or worse forms of speech. Calling another person an insulting name does not constitute ‘harm’.
As the old children’s folk song goes:
“Sticks and stones will break my bones.
Names will never hurt me.”
Helen goes on to argue that although some people seem to enjoy it, becoming a free speach police officer, is niether rewarding nor productive.
She notes” Having to continually defend freedom of speech gets in the way of the productive conversations that advance knowledge, enable self-correction and resolve conflict. Every minute spent arguing that someone should be allowed to express a view is a minute not spent examining whether the view is true, false, defensible or objectionable.”
Helen Pluckrose will be the key note speaker. Not only will she give us a first class speech but their is amble time for you to interact with or post a comment or question to Helen.
