Episode 154: Greg Salmieri discusses free speech, "cancel culture," and "academic freedom"
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What is a “right” and how does it define our sphere of action?
Hey, Matt Tegman here for Elucidations. This is just to let you know that the episode you're about to listen to was recorded in November of twenty twenty two. Just in case you're wondering why we didn't mention anything that took place in between november twenty twenty two and early twenty twenty six. I hope you enjoy it.
Yeah, Yeah.
Hello and welcome to Elucidations, an unexpected philosophy podcast. I'm Matt Tykman. And with me today, once again, is Greg Salmieri, Senior Philosophy Scholar at the Salem Center at the University of Texas, Austin. And he's here to discuss free speech. quote unquote cancel culture and quote unquote academic freedom. Greg Salmieri, welcome back to Elucidations for the fourth time. Uh thanks. It's great to be back. So Greg You've spent a lot of your career Researching Objectivist philosophy, the movement started by Ayn Rand. Objectivists are known for supporting free speech and Rand herself uh had some took some s kind of famous stands on that, but they also have a reputation for being somewhat doctrinaire.
How do you see objectivism as offering a way into the issue of free speech.
I think more relevant. to this topic than my being a a scholar of Rand or of objectivism is that I think of myself as an objectivist, a member of this school of philosophy. Aaron Ross Powell you believe it, you buy it. Yeah. So I'm not r thinking about it from this perspective third person on. I'm thinking of it as a philosopher from this school. What is its relevance to the topic of free speech? Well one, I mean Rand herself I think had a lot illuminating to say on it. And rather than try to summarize her views, I'll just try to sort of embody them or my take on them in in what goes forward. But just as a summary, I think she thought it was a a central political right, and it's a political right. That is, it's a right to be free from forcible interference by others with your speaking, as opposed to a right to um
be uh liked or given a platform or not discriminated against for your speech. So it's a right in particular against the government, uh passing laws to limit your speech, but also um a right against other people who might try to, for example, shoot you if you publish cartoons they don't like.
Yeah, so if I get somebody in front of a news TV camera, point a gun at them and, you know, say I'm going to shoot them if they don't say XYZ in front of the camera, that might be an example of violating this right. Trevor Burrus,
Jr. Yeah, like all rights, it's to do with force, uh as opposed to other kinds of uh relationships of influence. But also She was uh Rand was, and uh those of us who think of ourselves in her tradition are moralists, people who take morality seriously, and people who take ideas seriously. And I think where her reputation as doctrinaire or objectivist's reputation as doctrinaire sometimes comes from is from our taking moral principles seriously, our taking of them as having uh of ideas as having moral moral import. Some ideas are wrong and contribute to or are signs of vice in people. You can judge people based on their ideas. You should be careful about how you do it and not do it too quickly, but that's true with judging people for their actions also.
And so the idea that we should all um you know be perfectly tolerant of anybody saying or thinking anything, um, that we shouldn't be horrified by people expressing certain views that we shouldn't judge them based on it, I think um certainly was an anathema to Rand and is an anathema to me. I think our ideas matter. And to say that um often in kind of free speech circles or people who claim to be for free speech or who who describe themselves as for toleration or the exchange of ideas, often the way those conversations go uh suggests that ideas should be tolerated because they don't really matter that much. Even if that's not what the person is saying who's saying it, it comes across when you get the sense like we could disagree vehemently on the most fundamental things about who has a right to what, about whether um abortion is a right that a woman has and um restricting it is tantamount to putting her in some kind of involuntary servitude or forcing pregnancy and motherhood on her on the one hand, and somebody else thinks it's murder to abort.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is a “right” and how does it define our sphere of action?
0:00–6:34
2
How does Objectivism frame the issue of free speech?
6:34–12:34
3
Why does Ayn Rand view free speech as a political right against force?
12:34–16:55
4
When does a personal disagreement become a moral judgment?
16:55–22:21
5
What distinguishes legitimate free‑speech disputes from cancel culture?
22:21–27:17
6
How should universities balance academic freedom with political pressures?
27:17–32:49
7
What role should social‑media platforms play in moderating speech?
32:49–38:21
8
How can we protect free expression while avoiding unjust ostracism?
38:21–51:58
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from Elucidations
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Episode 153: Sam Enright discusses lifelong learning
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Episode 151: Witold Więcek discusses statistics and academic research