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I think most people agree that an idea can be dangerous. As I understand it, the first amendment exists because we believe that this danger is outweighed by the
by alexbecker 11y ago
I think most people agree that an idea can be dangerous. As I understand it, the first amendment exists because we believe that this danger is outweighed by the dangers of censorship and the benefits of the marketplace of ideas.
- reverius42 11y agoFair enough. Danger is a spectrum, not binary. I agree, a more nuanced view is that we (should?) view censorship as more dangerous than open communication of dangerous ideas. Or at least that's my understanding of why we have a First Amendment in the first place.
- jon_richards 11y agoAnd ideas are bulletproof.
- busterarm 11y agoThat's exactly it though. We defend against dangerous ideas by dragging them out into the light of day and examining them. Sticking them underground does the exactly opposite of that.