[lit-ideas] Re: Denying the Holocaust
- From: Teemu Pyyluoma <teme17@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 21 Feb 2006 23:05:15 -0800 (PST)
--- Robert Paul <robert.paul@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
> I hope I'm not alone in thinking that imprisoning
> Holocaust deniers
> raises real philosophical issues;
What exactly is there in the subject of hate speech
laws that calls for further reflection? An honest
question, as I see neither no evidence nor theoretical
basis to assume that they actually discourage hate
speech. And there is the free speech issue, I'd argue
that there are no expections beyond the immediate and
obvious physical effect cases (shouting "Fire!"). But
even if there are, I don't see why picking on an
ethnic group is one. Certainly there are cases when an
ethnic group does in fact enjoy unearned privileges,
say the Sunnis in Saddam's Iraq for now well known
example.
Seeing neither practical nor moral grounds for hate
speech laws, I dismiss them as feel-good
legistalation. That is something we outlaw simply
because we find it disgusting, which however well
intented is effectively corruption.
On the other hand, I guess an argument could be made
that there certainly are cases where esthetic
arguments are legit, for example urban planning.
Governments protect and encourage things the citizens
find beautiful and valuable, think public funding of
museums and parks. So why not the other way around, if
something is extremely ugly and disgusting, why can it
not be banned? What other grounds do we have for
favoring parks over industrial areas for example?
I still think this fails on the effectiveness, that is
hate speech laws arguably do not discourage hate
speech. And there is something unjust about sending a
person to jail for simply being disgusting, unjust as
in a withchunt.
Cheers,
Teemu
Helsinki, Finland
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