People vs. Ideas

Thoughts?

well, people use speech to convey ideas. so free speech (no exceptions) also means that people can say islamophobia is racism.

I'm actually not a super huge fan of free speech. Speech can be used to rob people of their freedom of conscience (their right to have ideas), and I think that's more important. Free speech can also be used to destroy people's lives: either through defamation, or by "public shaming" people for their non-mainstream ideas/lifestyle.

It is definitely a fine line...

people associate themselves with those ideas, and take the confrontations personal...

Not to mention those things Ren has said...

IDEALLY, this would be right...

Which is why we say "we debate ideas, not people", but it is hard when one of the parties blur the lines...

That isnt a failing of Free speech, that is a direct result. of people are horrible place any number of humans in a small controlled room and they will find any way or excuse to wreck each other. Saying that something is broken or dangerous because the user/operator chooses to act irresponsibly or out right not giving any of the fucks and acting with malice is childish.

Freedom of speech is vital to the growth of both societies and individuals. The other thing is that most people dont understand that freedom with out any limitations becomes just a word. Our rights end where others being but for some reason extending our considerations to the person to the left or right isn't natural step for most people.

Freedom of speech is an idea.

I support it.

"Ideas" do not live independent of "People". The people are required for the idea to manifest and be shared. Each person may interpret an idea differently, and thus share a different version of it. Therefore, few ideas remain unchanged as they are passed from person to person.

It is only in the free and open discussion of ideas that people can share multiple interpretations of an idea without fear of reprisal. It is this environment of "Free Speech" that allows for learning and the pursuit of truth.

Regretfully the discussions of religion, politics, or philosophy rarely take place in an environment of truly free speech, and so we go to war over them instead. That should tell you something about human nature.

Free speech promotes the free exchange of opinion and ideas. Even those opinions and ideas that we consider immoral or uninformed further help to reinforce those ideas that we consider moral and informed. Further we cannot know for certain that this is definitely the case so these opinions should always be considered just in case.

“even opinions lose their immunity, when the circumstances in which they are expressed are such as to constitute their expression a positive instigation to some mischievous act” - John Stuart Mill

One can dislike a ex-criminal living in your neighbourhood, but one shouldn't incite the neighbourhood to begin rioting and attacking that ex-criminal.

Free speech isn't an entitlement to say anything you want to in the entire world. Even slander is illegal in the US.

Akkarin wrote: Free speech isn't an entitlement to say anything you want to in the entire world.

I disagree on this point. I believe "free Speech" does entitle you to say whatever you want. It does not free you of the consequences of that speech, however, which is something people often forget.

steamboat28 wrote:

Akkarin wrote: Free speech isn't an entitlement to say anything you want to in the entire world.

I disagree on this point. I believe "free Speech" does entitle you to say whatever you want. It does not free you of the consequences of that speech, however, which is something people often forget.

Well think about what you've said lol. Free speech is entitling you to protection from what you say.

If it was illegal - with a minimum 2 year prison sentence - to say the phrase "The president of America is rubbish" then that wouldn't be free speech would it? lol

Free speech is a legal guarantee, a law, but having the ability to say whatever you want is just a natural feature of being a human and capable of speech.

Agreed with Akkarin. If there are any limitations or other costs associated with your speech, then it is non-free.