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Free Speech and Why It Matters
- Why It Matters
- Narrated by: Andrew Doyle
- Length: 2 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Politics & Social Sciences, Politics & Government
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Have you heard that language is violence and that science is sexist? Have you read that certain people shouldn't practice yoga? Or been told that being obese is healthy, that there is no such thing as biological sex, or that only White people can be racist? Are you confused by these ideas, and do you wonder how they have managed to challenge the logic of Western society? In this probing volume, Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay document the evolution of the dogma that informs these ideas, from its coarse origins in French postmodernism to its refinement within activist academic fields.
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Some interesting points but often missed the point
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Well written but a very sad reality for Europe.
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required reading
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Have you heard that language is violence and that science is sexist? Have you read that certain people shouldn't practice yoga? Or been told that being obese is healthy, that there is no such thing as biological sex, or that only White people can be racist? Are you confused by these ideas, and do you wonder how they have managed to challenge the logic of Western society? In this probing volume, Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay document the evolution of the dogma that informs these ideas, from its coarse origins in French postmodernism to its refinement within activist academic fields.
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Sexist af.
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Publisher's Summary
Free speech is the bedrock of all our liberties, and yet in recent years, it has come to be mistrusted. A new form of social justice activism, which perceives language as potentially violent, has prompted a national debate on where the limitations of acceptable speech should be drawn. Governments throughout Europe have enacted 'hate speech' legislation to curb the dissemination of objectionable ideas, Silicon Valley tech giants are collaborating to ensure that they control the limitations of public discourse, and campaigners in the US are calling for revisions to the First Amendment.
However well-intentioned, these trends represent a threat to the freedoms that our ancestors fought and died to secure. In this incisive and fascinating book, Andrew Doyle addresses head-on the most common concerns of free speech sceptics, and offers a timely and robust defence of this most foundational of principles.
What the critics say
"A fantastically timely book written by one of the smartest thinkers in Britain." (Piers Morgan)
"Impassioned, scholarly and succinct." (The Times)
More from the same
What listeners say about Free Speech and Why It Matters
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Chris d.
- 2021-09-21
should be mandated in schools
more and more educators, and students of all ages need to be reading this book
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- Anonymous User
- 2021-07-09
Read it!
Intelligent, balanced, theoretical, yet pragmatic. A brilliant analysis of the importance of protecting free speech. I cannot recommend this book enough!
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- Koddi Goreham
- 2021-07-09
Eye opening, non partisan, concise!!!
Very well narrated! loved the cohesiveness of the chapters. A very concise and well articulated defination of what free speech is. Offers the reader a glimpse into a world without freedom of expression and what would result as a consequence of this removal.
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- Brad Cain
- 2021-06-12
Thought provoking and insightful
well supported arguments and cogent hypotheses
counter arguments on some points would be interesting to hear
generally a must read for all who want to have a position on freedom
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- Robin Collins
- 2021-04-21
the basics of the free speech argument
This is a very well done, brief introduction to the basics of the concept of free speech and why it applies to the insanity of the present cancel culture moment.
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- The Cimmerian
- 2021-07-27
So short, yet so quotable.
I was impressed of how short the book was (for such a subject and all the examples that could have been used), but I found myself thankful for that same reason. The book is very quotable and I could not stop making notes (in the Kindle version); and for such a small book, I was impressed of how many notes the author included (literally half of the book are notes that you can consult). Another great surprise was the Immersion Reading experience (when you have both the audiobook and the e-book). Nearly all the book is identical to the audible one, which I very much appreciate. My only complain is that the book ends somewhat abruptly (honestly, I was expecting the next character) and is on the short side, but this latter "defect" make it enjoyable and easy to consult on a whim.
1 person found this helpful
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- Norman L Fenlason
- 2022-07-27
Great book on impending dangers to liberty
Doyle has made a compelling case. An edict banning “hate “speech” is a very sharp blade, which in the hands of an as yet defined opportunist will cut the throats of the once masters that sharpened it.
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- C8
- 2022-04-06
Least we forget
Andrew Doyle is right on point. The progressives are just as bad as any totalitarian regime. Humanity must stand up for our basic right of free speech least we forget the atrocities of the past if we want to preserve it for today and the future.
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- Anonymous User
- 2022-02-15
The content is sad but true.
I hope we get truly free speech again some day. We need to end woke censorship.
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- Gavin W. Bates
- 2021-12-23
Overall Reasonable Arguments
Not really understanding the simping for J. K. Rowling though. She has one of the loudest platforms and has not been silenced in any way as far as I can tell. Just a misandrist flailing and whining as the snake of progressivism eats itself, leaving her on a lower rung of the progressive stack.
There's an important distinction lacking in the discussion of the inception of gender ideology that is conspicuously missing. But the book is about free speech, so I wouldn't necessarily expect the author to be correct on this issue.
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- il914
- 2021-06-06
Important perspective our times
Doyle explores the diminishment of the right of free speech in many liberal Western democracies. He approaches the subject both from a historical perspective as well as by examining current events, and makes a strong case for protecting this foundational liberal value.
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- Mike W.
- 2021-06-05
must read
perfect.....this book should be mandatory reading in all schools. Thank you for writing it.
Keep up the good fight.
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- caverley1zr
- 2021-04-16
McGrath is gonna be angry....
I mostly know Doyle from his alter ego, Titiana McGrath. In this book, Doyle shows his philosophical and rhetorical chops to be quite impressive. I'm actually prepared to sit down and listen again soon, although I will say the only sad part is those that should listen/read this book probably will not.
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- David A Welsh
- 2021-03-18
Fight for Free Speech
This short book will provide you with some good ammunition when faced with the opportunity to defend free speech.
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- Packbacker
- 2021-03-01
There is a war going on for your mind.
This book really paints a fantastic picture of tolerance for the sake of knowledge and understanding.
Without dialog, how will it be possible to share and express information?
How can we understand those who have differing views, if all we do is push them to the side.
How can we make jokes?
Silencing thoughts and beliefs has never worked and we would be wise to stop debating, and start having dialog. We might be surprised of what we can learn.
Make Orwell fiction again!