Free Speech Fallacy
🧠Psych - 125 / 200
Hello,
We are going to learn about Free Speech Fallacy.
What is it?
The infantile fallacy of responding to challenges to one's statements and standpoints by whining, "It's a free country, isn't it? I can say anything I want to!"
Where does it occur?
A contemporary case of this fallacy is the "Safe Space," or "Safe Place," where it is not allowed to refute, challenge or even discuss another's beliefs because that might be too uncomfortable or "triggery" for emotionally fragile individuals.
Why do I need to know
Ironically, in contemporary America "free speech" has often become shorthand for freedom of racist, offensive, or even neo-Nazi expression, ideological trends that once in power typically quash free speech.
Additionally, a recent (2017) scientific study has found that, in fact, "people think harder and produce better political arguments when their views are challenged" and not artificially protected without challenge.
References & Studies: -
http://utminers.utep.edu/omwilliamson/engl1311/fallacies.htm#:~:text=Ironically%2C%20in%20contemporary,protected%20without%20challenge.
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