
Ep. 256: Ten arguments against free speech
from So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast
by FIRE
Published: Thu Oct 30 2025
Show Notes
We tackle ten common arguments against free speech.
FIRE President and CEO Greg Lukianoff and FIRE Senior Fellow and former ACLU President Nadine Strossen are the co-authors of the new book, "War on Words: 10 Arguments Against Free Speech—And Why They Fail."
Timestamps:
Intro
Book's origins
Argument #1: Words are violence
Argument #2: Words are dangerous
Argument #3: Hate speech isn't free speech
Argument #4: About shoutdowns
Argument #5: Free speech is outdated
Argument #6 Free speech is right-wing
Argument #7: About that crowded theater and marketplace of ideas
Argument #9: Misinformation and disinformation
Argument #8: Free speech protects power
Argument #10: About the Holocaust and Rwandan genocide
Outro
Get the Book:
Purchase War on Words: 10 Arguments Against Free Speech—And Why They Fail.
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