Scott Alexander examines the difficulties in creating consistent free speech norms beyond legal protections, proposing guidelines and emphasizing the role of community consensus.
Longer summary
This post explores the complexities of establishing coherent principles around free speech norms beyond governmental protections. Scott Alexander discusses the challenges of balancing opinion expression, propensity signaling, and speech acts, using various examples to illustrate the nuances. He proposes some potential guidelines, such as allowing controversial opinions if they don't lead to dangerous actions, and not enforcing idiosyncratic rules through punishment. The post concludes by emphasizing the importance of community consensus in establishing norms and the need for clear rules in different types of communities.
Shorter summary