stux⚡️Dec 13, 2022

I love this one about #FreeSpeech from https://xkcd.com/1357/

That.

Free Speech

xkcd
Show threadHeskie
@stux
In the west we pretty much rely in J S Mill for our definition of free speech: "If all mankind minus one were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind." [On Liberty]
That comes with a proviso of "professing and discussing"
In which case free speech refers to a transaction - a flow and testing of ideas.
Dec 13, 2022 at 10:55amWeb
Show threadHeskieDec 13, 2022
@stux
reference is often made to the "harm principle" as the sole grounds of limitation of freedom of speech. But Mill goes on to differentiate between mass thought, powerful only in numbers and "higher eminences of thought" - so, whilst we are all free to speak, there seems to be a duty placed on some to make themselves heard above the crowd.
Show threadHeskieDec 13, 2022
@stux
It would be interesting to have posts about freedom of speech from beyond the anglophone sphere of influence and traditions.