Compassionate Free Speech

By Magnus Vinding

Two loose currents appear to be in opposition in today's culture. One is animated by a strong insistence on empathy and compassion as core values, the other by a strong insistence on free speech as a core value. These two currents are often portrayed as though they must necessarily be in conflict.

Compassionate Free Speech makes the case that this is a mistake. While ethical principles of compassion and free speech can be in tension, it *is* possible to reconcile them in a refined synthesis that allows us to chart a balanced middle path of a free and compassionate society.

"Magnus Vinding argues both that people should not be subjected to social punishment for honest expression of their views and that we must work much harder to practice compassion, fairness, generosity, openness, and truthfulness in our own speech. He shows how social media pressures all of us to spread ignorance and rancor, and he proposes a wise set of norms to guide our online interactions. This is a deeply argued and richly insightful discussion that sheds new light on a vexing subject."
— Jamie Mayerfeld, professor of political science at the University of Washington, author of Suffering and Moral Responsibility and The Promise of Human Rights

• Language: English
• Publisher: Magnus Vinding
• Release date: Jul 29, 2020

Magnus Vinding

Magnus Vinding is the author of Speciesism: Why It Is Wrong and the Implications of Rejecting It (2015), Reflections on Intelligence (2016), You Are Them (2017), Effective Altruism: How Can We Best Help Others? (2018), Suffering-Focused Ethics: Defense and Implications (2020), Reasoned Politics (2022), and Essays on Suffering-Focused Ethics (2022).He is blogging at magnusvinding.com

Book preview

Compassionate Free Speech

© Magnus Vinding, 2020

Two loose currents appear to be in opposition in today's culture. One is animated by a strong insistence on empathy and compassion as core values, the other by a strong insistence on free speech as a core value. These two currents are often portrayed as though they must necessarily be in conflict. I think this is a mistake.

To be sure, the two values described above can be in tension, and none of them strictly imply the other. But it is possible to reconcile them in a refined and elegant synthesis. That, I submit, is what we should be aiming for. A synthesis of two vital and mutually reinforcing values.

Definitions and outline

It is crucial to distinguish 1) social and ethical norms, and 2) state-enforced laws. The argument I make here pertains to the first level. That is, I am arguing that we should aim to observe and promote ethical norms of compassion and open conversation, respectively.

What do I mean by these terms? Compassion is commonly defined as sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it. I here use the term in a broader