Noam Chomsky - Freedom of Speech for Views You Don't Like
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN quotes it in censorship and moderation threads for Chomsky's principle that free speech must cover speech you dislike.
What it is
A ten-minute clip of Noam Chomsky on the Faurisson affair and free speech. He argues that supporting free speech means defending views you despise.
Recommended by 1 HN commenters across 1 different months, 2020 to 2021.
What Hacker News said
Recommends sebmellen · 2020-10 · on “Reddit’s About page doesn't include Aaron Swartz as a founder”
If you're asking this question, you don't understand the principles of freedom of speech. Read the Aaron Swartz essay linked above, and while you're at it, watch this, from Noam Chomsky: [this video] .
Cites sebmellen · 2020-10 · on “Reddit’s About page doesn't include Aaron Swartz as a founder”
No. [this video] Freedom of speech is not a small issue. It lies at the core of our civilization, and is unambiguously one of the few things that made "the West" prosper. Aaron makes a very cogent and clear argument for free speech, and its enduring importance. To arbitrate rights based on public opinion is idiotic and dangerous. This is why we have a constitution. Of course, Reddit has the right to do this, as a private company, but that's not an argument for doing it.
Cites sebmellen · 2020-10 · on “Reddit’s About page doesn't include Aaron Swartz as a founder”
Dann haben wir haben ganz verschiedene Weltbilder. The right to religious criticism should be absolute. The reason I bring up the Austrian case is because itw was upheld by the ECHR, which Germany also defers to. To defend the woman in that case from the ECHR's deranged ruling: Scholars estimate that Mohammed married Aisha, his youngest wife, when she was only 6. If that is not paedophilia, I don't know what is. You bring up libel laws in the US. Historically, they have had a very, very high burden of proof. Only oligarchal authoritarians like Trump try to expand their reach. Libel cases are also exceedingly rare, and if they are brought to court, they are brought to court as a civil matter.
Cites brigandish · 2021-03 · on “You can't censor away extremism or any other problem”
It's an irony that the kind of free speech you appear to support (and please correct me if I'm wrong) existed in fascist states like Nazi Germany and fascist Italy, because, as Chomsky points out here[1] "Goebbels was in favour of freedom of speech for views he liked". I'd suggest you might try the other path, as Chomsky also suggests: > “If you're in favour of freedom of speech that means you're in favour of freedom of speech precisely for views you despise. Otherwise you're not in favour of freedom of speech. > There's two positions you can have on freedom of speech, and you can decide which position you want.” [1] [this video]
Cites charbonneau · 2021-09 · on “Reddit communities ‘go dark’ in protest over Covid misinformation”
"If you're in favor of freedom of speech, that means you're in favor of speech precisely for views you despise" - Noam Chomsky [this video]