Free Inquiry
Table of Contents
- Right to talak/express all pars of view about an issue
- Not banning any idea by labelling it as `bad'.
Some issues/topics where Free Inquiry comes up are (from http://www.truthpizza.org/logic/freeinqu.htm):
- Restricting expression in order to protect the truth
- Limiting expression for political gain
- Secrecy
- Open Mindedness is free inquiry on a personal level.
- Freedom of Speech
- Scientific Publication
`bad' ideas also need to be discuessed because ideas are connected. Restriction in one topic propagates to many other far away topic that yield implication to that forbidden topic. And best ideas usually have far reaching consequences. 1
1. Difference between Free Inquiry and Freedom of Speech
Freedom of Speech is like free inquiry since it encourages open consideration of all ideas but is different in that it is legal rather than philosophical and that it applies to governments.
E.g. an organization/company resticting what their employee can say in public is against free inquiry but doesn't violate freedom of speech because here the government isn't making restiction. The employee can be fired but not arrested.
Footnotes:
Also iterated here: http://www.paulgraham.com/conformism.html.
References
- http://www.truthpizza.org/logic/freeinqu.htm (Free Inquiry)
- http://www.paulgraham.com/conformism.html (Free Inquiry)
