Synopses & Reviews
A liberal society stands on the proposition that we should all take seriously the idea that we might be wrong. This means we must place no one, including ourselves, beyond the reach of criticism; it means that we must allow people to err, even where the error offends and upsets, as it often will.” So writes Jonathan Rauch in
Kindly Inquisitors, which has challenged readers for more than twenty years with its bracing and provocative exploration of the issues surrounding attempts to limit free speech. In it, Rauch makes a persuasive argument for the value of liberal science” and the idea that conflicting views produce knowledge within society.
In this expanded edition of Kindly Inquisitors, a new foreword by George F. Will strikingly shows the books continued relevance, while a substantial new afterword by Rauch elaborates upon his original argument and brings it fully up to date. Two decades after the books initial publication, while some progress has been made, the regulation of hate speech has grown domesticallyespecially in American universitiesand has spread even more internationally, where there is no First Amendment to serve as a meaningful check. But the answer to bias and prejudice, Rauch argues, is pluralismnot purism. Rather than attempting to legislate bias and prejudice out of existence or to drive them underground, we must pit them against one another to foster a more vigorous and fruitful discussion. It is this process that has been responsible for the growing acceptance of the moral acceptability of homosexuality over the last twenty years. And it is this process, Rauch argues, that will enable us as a society to replace hate with knowledge, both ethical and empirical.
It is a melancholy fact that this elegant book, which is slender and sharp as a stiletto, is needed, now even more than two decades ago. Armed with it, readers can slice through the pernicious ideas that are producing the still-thickening thicket of rules, codes, and regulations restricting freedom of thought and expression.”George F. Will, from the foreword
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Praise for the previous edition
“Fiercely argued. . . . What sets his study apart is his attempt to situate recent developments in a long-range historical perspective and to defend the system of free intellectual inquiry as a socially productive method of channeling prejudice.”
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“Like no other, this book restates the core of our freedom and demonstrates how great, and disregarded, the peril to that freedom has become.”
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“Stands out as a thoughtful, provocative defense of civil liberties and liberal inquiry. Jonathan Rauchs unique perspective, derived from personal experience, lends to the poignancy of his thesis.”
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“To observe that American political and intellectual discourse has become polarized, intolerant of all but the most predictable ideological nostrums, censorial of anything deemed to be remotely ‘politically incorrect, and generally lacking in subtlety, a free spirit of inquiry, or honest quest for truth, has perhaps become trite. Twenty years ago it was less so, and it was then that Rauch wrote a book called Kindly Inquisitors. In retrospect, Rauch was extraordinarily prophetic in his assessment of the evolving state of free speech and thought. [This] newly updated version of Kindly Inquisitors provides an opportune moment to reflect on this extraordinarily deep and provocative essay, a true tour de force of logic, integrity and moral passion.”
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"A modern classic explaining the importance of free speech in society.”
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“An eloquent attack on the advocates of political correctness.”
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“It has been twenty years since the first edition of Kindly Inquisitors, yet conflicts persist. This book is worth a second look twenty years later. It will no doubt lead the reader to reflect upon the nature of social and political change within a technologically networked society.”
Synopsis
Since its publication in 1993,
Kindly Inquisitors has challenged readers with its bracing and provocative exploration of the issues surrounding attempts to limit free speech. Jonathan Rauch makes a persuasive argument for the value of what he sees as a pillar of liberal society: “liberal science,” the system for producing knowledge within such a society, a system based on choosing between conflicting views. Moving beyond a defense of the First Amendment, Rauch defends the morality, as well as the very real benefits, of an intellectual regime that relies on unfettered and often hurtful criticism to make progress. This Expanded Edition includes a Foreword by George F. Will emphasizing the book’s continuing relevance and a substantial Afterword by Rauch which updates and elaborates upon his original arguments. Two decades on, Rauch notes that, while some progress has been made, the regulation of speech deemed hateful or assaultive or harassing has spread internationally—where there is no First Amendment to act as a buffer—and has dug in domestically, especially in American universities. But the answer to bias and prejudice, he argues, is pluralism, not purism. The answer is not to try to legislate bias and prejudice out of existence or to drive them underground, but to pit biases and prejudices against each other and make them fight in the open. It was this process, playing out over the last twenty years, that has been responsible for the acceptance of the morality of homosexuality. And it is this process, liberal science, which will enable us as a society to replace hate with knowledge, both ethical and empirical. With strong backing from the Cato Institute, this new edition will bring renewed attention to a classic defense of free thought and free expression.
About the Author
Jonathan Rauch is a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution, a contributing editor of the Atlantic and National Journal, and the author of six books, including Government's End and Gay Marriage: Why It Is Good for Gays, Good for Straights, and Good for America.Jonathan Rauch is a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution, a contributing editor of the Atlantic and National Journal, and the author of six books, including Government's End and Gay Marriage: Why It Is Good for Gays, Good for Straights, and Good for America.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Foreword by George F. Will
1. New Threats to Free Thought
2. The Rise of Liberal Science
3. The Politics of Liberal Science
4. The Fundamentalist Threat
5. The Humanitarian Threat
6. Et Exspecto Resurrectionem
Afterword: Minorities, Moral Knowledge, and the Uses of Hate Speech
Notes
Index