> Following pg's example, let us consider the following classic debate topic: "is slavery good?" A plantation owner might find themselves tickled by a lively di

> Following pg's example, let us consider the following classic debate topic: "is slavery good?" A plantation owner might find themselves tickled by a lively discussion on the subject, replete with a cornucopia of Enlightenment principles and classical liberalism and such. Historically, the Southern states (which were politically dominated by slaveholders) outlawed all abolitionist literature because they feared that free discussion of ideas would undermine the system. > It is perhaps telling that slavery was not abolished through free inquiry or the discussion of ideas. 90% of the work was done through free inquiry and discourse, ranging from the Lincoln-Douglas debates to the publishing of books like Uncle Tom’s Cabin. The attempts to solve the problem violently (e.g. John Brown at Harper’s Ferry) failed. It was only when the slave states refused to accept the outcome of a free election and started the civil war that violence became necessary. > The debate is over, and the actual free-thinkers have moved on. You’ve cherry-picked a specific example that fits that narrative.