The instant reaction to anyone saying an idea should be up for debate is an assumption that they approve the idea.https://twitter.com/eclecticchris42/status/910777309413638144 …
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Born of being in a privileged position where the idea poses no threat to you. At worst, it's a secret approval of the idea.
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The idea that ppl can support free expression of even horrible ideas because they think it's the best way to defeat them is being lost.
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It is clear to me that many people genuinely cannot comprehend such an position because of the way they justify censorship to me.
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They think that if they can only convince me of how bad an idea is, I'll see why it needs to be censored.
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Or that if they turn my justification for free speech onto an idea they think I see the problem with more clearly, I'll get it.
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Because, to them, the only moral response to an awful idea is to ban its expression. Ppl who disagree are either immoral or stupid.
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In fact, we want to hear the best possible arguments for the worst possible ideas so the best possible refutations can be made.
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This isn't just some abstract, academic process far removed from the realities of life. This is how culture works.
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Because humans don't like to be wrong. In fact, we have a horror of being wrong and being seen to be wrong. See: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Being-Wrong-Adventures-Margin-Error-ebook/dp/B005DI9DPM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1505984368&sr=8-1&keywords=being+wrong …
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It's connected to reputation. It is common to feel an anguish at being shown to be wrong that is way out of all proportion.
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Having had an experience of having their best argument responded to by a better one that they can't easily refute,...
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People wanting to be taken seriously go into credibility damage control. They'll retreat to find a way to counter the counter-argument.
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If they can't, they are unlikely to make that argument again and risk losing more credibility. Witnesses won't make it either.
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Responding to bad ideas by showing them to be bad is simply a better deterrent than punching or banning people for them.
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End of conversation
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