Insults, humour and freedom of speech

  • In this article we argue that freedom of speech should be understood as a social freedom. In the public discussion after the Charlie Hebdo attacks, it has often been understood as an absolute right to say anything – to offend, to make a fool of others and of oneself, and to express any opinion regardless of the consequences. We challenge this view and propose that advocating freedom of speech without understanding its social foundations is misleading and counterproductive. Based on the critical social theories of Erich Fromm, Charles Taylor and Axel Honneth, we show that there is an alternative tradition in which freedom is fundamentally rooted in social relations and therefore requires respect for others. We argue that interpreting freedom of speech as a social freedom avoids some of the problems apparent in current discussions. In addition, our position has significant practical consequences on how humour and insults should be understood.

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Metadaten
Author:Jarno Hietalahti, et al.
Parent Title (English):French Cultural Studies 2016, Vol. 27, pp. 245-255.
Document Type:Articles
Language:English
Year of first Publication:2016
Release Date:2017/11/20
Format:PDF-file upon request / PDF-Datei auf Anfrage
IdNo:Hietalahti_J_et_al_2016
Erich Fromm's Library and Erich Fromm Archive:Articles / Artikel
Licence (German):
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