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

May 24, 2023 1h 6m 15 insights Episode Page ↗
Spencer Greenberg speaks with Iona Italia about the critical need for free speech, its narrow exceptions, and the dangers of censorship. They also discuss the importance of opinion diversity for societal progress and the impact of religious ritual.
Actionable Insights

1. Prioritize Duty to Truth

When something is both true and important, feel a moral imperative to say it, even if it upsets others, because the duty to truth supersedes sparing feelings.

2. Continually Defend Free Expression

Actively fight to defend freedom of expression, as the natural tendency of power is towards greater censorship, which will otherwise erode these freedoms.

3. Apply Free Speech Thought Experiment

When considering restricting speech, imagine if your ideological opponents were in power and applying the same restrictions to your speech to understand the precedent being set.

4. Seek Disagreeable Opinions

Actively listen to and seek out opinions you find harmful or disagreeable, as you can often learn something valuable from them and avoid patronizing censorship.

5. Embrace Opinion Diversity

Recognize and value opinion diversity, including the existence of opposition and pushback against your own ideas, because this stress testing is vital for progress.

6. Discourage Calls for Individual Harm

Establish a strong societal norm against trying to cause harm to specific individuals, such as calling for them to be fired or their books to be pulped, and disapprove of those making such calls.

7. Employer Protocol for Mobs

Universities and employers should implement a mandatory cooling-off period (24-48 hours) before responding to social media mobs and avoid firing or canceling based solely on the number of complaints.

8. Employer Upholds Free Speech

The onus is on employers not to fire people simply based on opinions, especially those voiced on social media, to maintain norms of free expression.

9. Influence Sentiment, Not Words

When addressing offensive language, focus on changing the underlying negative sentiments or feelings that motivate such words, rather than merely policing the words themselves.

10. Reject Offense as Censorship Justification

Do not accept “feeling harmed” as a sufficient justification for censorship, as it is too weak a definition of harm and can be used to justify violence.

11. Prioritize Accurate Knowledge

Always strive for accurate knowledge, as it is easier to fix problems and deal with things effectively when you have a clear understanding of the truth.

12. Careful Communication of Controversial Research

If conducting controversial research, take extra care in how you present findings and provide proper education to ensure people understand them correctly and mitigate misuse.

13. Desire Better Political Opposition

Instead of hoping political opponents fail, desire for them to be better and provide a healthy outlet for diverse thinking, which leads to a more robust societal discourse.

14. Embrace Painful Truths for Growth

Strive to know what is true, even when the truth is personally deeply painful, as this pursuit of knowledge is almost always worth it for personal understanding and growth.

15. Find Secular Community Alternatives

Actively seek out and engage with secular alternatives for community and social needs, such as hobbies like dancing, Star Trek, or chess, to fill gaps often provided by religious institutions.