Abstract
The On Liberty arguments of John Stuart Mill and Harriet Taylor are still
strong arguments for an unrestricted freedom of speech. For them, freedom
of speech is closely linked to the idea of truth-finding, and truth-finding
is crucial for a democratic society like ours and the development of its
participants. In short, without freedom of speech, the tyranny of the majority
looms. However, it is also reasonable to restrict freedom of action if
expressions cause pain to democratic citizens. Since the question whether
expressions, including speech, cause pain requires a scientific study of
psychological pain, the issue of democratic freedom of speech is intimately
linked to, and even depends on scientific inquiry.
strong arguments for an unrestricted freedom of speech. For them, freedom
of speech is closely linked to the idea of truth-finding, and truth-finding
is crucial for a democratic society like ours and the development of its
participants. In short, without freedom of speech, the tyranny of the majority
looms. However, it is also reasonable to restrict freedom of action if
expressions cause pain to democratic citizens. Since the question whether
expressions, including speech, cause pain requires a scientific study of
psychological pain, the issue of democratic freedom of speech is intimately
linked to, and even depends on scientific inquiry.
| Translated title of the contribution | Democracy, freedom of speech, and science. |
|---|---|
| Original language | Dutch |
| Pages (from-to) | 375-390 |
| Number of pages | 16 |
| Journal | Algemeen Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Wijsbegeerte |
| Volume | 114 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2022 |
Keywords
- Freedom of speech
- Freedom of expression
- Democracy and Science
- John Stuart Mill
- Psychological pain