Name: Let's get real about free speech
Uploaded: 2025-06-24T14:50:24Z
Duration: 12 min 23 s
Description: "Too many people believe in something closer to freedom from speech rather than freedom of speech," says attorney Greg Lukianoff. In a timely talk, he warns against the rise of "mob censorship" — and reminds us why free speech is the best check on power ever invented.

Greg Lukianoff: Let's get real about free speech

Let's get real about free speech

"Too many people believe in something closer to freedom from speech rather than freedom of speech," says attorney Greg Lukianoff. In a timely talk, he warns against the rise of "mob censorship" — and reminds us why free speech is the best check on power ever invented.

The rise of mob censorship and shout-downs reached a record high on campuses in 2023 and 2024, as shown when hundreds stormed a UC Berkeley event to silence a controversial speaker. Silencing unpopular voices, whether by force or intimidation, undermines society's ability to understand genuine beliefs and stifles crucial dialogue. Free speech, even when uncomfortable, has historically empowered the powerless and curbed abuses of authority. True progress depends on protecting the right to express unpopular or even offensive opinions.