The Lonely Work of a Free-Speech Defender

The podcast features an interview with Greg Lukianoff, head of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), discussing the meaning of free speech and instances where it is betrayed by both the left and the right. Lukianoff shares personal anecdotes, including an early memory related to honesty and politeness, and discusses his journey to defending free speech, influenced by his discomfort with conformity and authoritarianism. The conversation covers FIRE's early cases, his personal struggles with depression and how cognitive behavioral therapy informed his approach to free speech, the emergence of "cancel culture" on college campuses, and the Trump administration's actions concerning free speech. Lukianoff argues for the importance of candor and truth-seeking in a free society, even when it involves platforming hateful ideas, and expresses concern that the current climate is worse than during the Biden era due to the exercise of federal power.