Class 10/27

Old Left vs Modern Left on Censorship

Old Left mostly opposed censorship; parts of the modern Left now support more of it.

Recent Censorship Trend

Perception that censorship and “cancel culture” have grown in the last 10–15 years.

Normative Question (Censorship)

Asks: Should we censor? Focuses on what is right or wrong.

Positive Question (Censorship)

Asks: Why do we censor? Explains causes and patterns.

Cancel Culture

Using social or media pressure to punish or silence people for their views.

“Cancel” (Narrow Meaning)

Organizing to isolate, deplatform, or intimidate an ideological opponent.

Moral Grandstanding

Showing moral outrage mainly to impress others or gain status.

Caricatures / False Accusations

Misstating someone’s views, using quotes out of context to damage them.

Punishment Focus in Cancel Culture

Targeting someone’s job, status, or platform, not just their ideas.

Guilt by Association

Treating someone as guilty just because they are linked to a disliked person or group.

Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann

Scholar who created the Spiral of Silence theory.

Basic Idea of Spiral of Silence

People stay quiet if they think their opinion is unpopular, making it seem rarer.

Fear of Social Isolation

People don’t want to be rejected or excluded by others

Monitoring Public Opinion

People watch others to see which opinions are safe or risky to express.

Isolation Pressure

Signals (frowns, turning away, criticism) that a view is not accepted.

Hiding Opinions

People hide their views when they expect isolation or backlash.

Starting the Spiral of Silence

One side speaks loudly while the other side goes quiet.

Role of Moral / Emotional Issues

Spirals of silence are often triggered by morally loaded issues.

Minority Appears as Majority

A minority can look like the majority if it speaks more boldly.

Media in Spiral of Silence

When media back one side, that side is more likely to “win” public opinion.

Spiral of Silence and Cancel Culture

Fear of being “canceled” makes people stay quiet, feeding the spiral.

Glenn Loury, “Self-Censorship in Public Discourse”

Explains how speech sends signals about character and group identity.

Signaling Model: Sender

Speaker (politician, activist, lecturer) who wants to persuade.

Signaling Model: Receiver

Audience that forms opinions and judges the speaker.

Ad Hominem Impulse

Tendency to ask, “What type of person is this?” instead of just judging the argument.

“Reading Between the Lines”

Looking for hidden meanings and signals in what someone says.

Coded Emblems / Dog Whistles

Phrases or symbols that hint at deeper beliefs to insiders.

Political Correctness as Signal

PC language signals loyalty or membership in a certain group.

Screening Sources

Rejecting information from speakers seen as bad or untrustworthy.

Extreme Partisans and Moderates

Extreme voices make moderates afraid to speak, so moderates withdraw.

“Mixed Company” / Multiple Audiences

Talking in front of different groups at once, where self-censorship is strongest.

Insider Criticism Problem

Group members avoid criticizing their own side when outsiders are listening.

Forbidden Facts

True facts that are not mentioned publicly because they might help the other side.

“No True Sarcasm”

Jokes or sarcasm are treated as revealing what you “really” believe.

Code Switching

Changing language or tone depending on the audience to manage how you are seen.