Moral Issues Unit 2

Contentious Speech

Speech that is controversial

Hate Speech

Language (oral or written) that expresses strong hatred, contempt, or intolerance for some social group, particularly social groups classified according to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or nationality

Microaggressions and trigger warnings

Microaggressions are small actions and word choices that may or may not involve malicious intent but nevertheless communicate negative attitudes toward a marginalized group. Trigger warnings are in the context of college and university campuses, warnings to students that the content of a written material, video, or course may be distressing

Liberty-Limiting Principles

A principle that purports to set forth conditions under which a government may be morally justified in passing laws that limit the liberty of its citizens

The Harm Principle

A liberty-limiting principle according to which a government may justifiably pass laws to limit the liberty of its citizens in order to prohibit individuals from causing harm to other individuals or to society

Mill: Arguments for Freedom of Thought and Speech

John Stuart Mill argued for freedom of thought and speech for four key reasons: to avoid human fallibility, to discover the full truth through the "marketplace of ideas," to understand truth more fully and "lively" even if it is known, and to prevent truth from becoming a "dead dogma" without vitality. He believed that suppressing any opinion, even a false one, is harmful because it robs humanity of the opportunity to gain truth, and it prevents people from deeply understanding and applying true beliefs

Causal Harm vs. Expressive Harm

Causal harm refers to the tangible, direct consequences of an action, while expressive harm is a more abstract, symbolic harm that results from the negative attitudes or messages conveyed by an act

Speech Codes

Regulations, often on college campuses, that restrict speech to maintain a specific campus climate, but raise moral issues by balancing the right to free expression against the harm of offensive speech, the protection of marginalized groups, and the creation of genuinely inclusive environments

Safe Space Movement

Encompasses the creation and advocacy of spaces—physical, digital, or social—where individuals, particularly marginalized groups, can feel accepted, supported, and safe to express themselves without fear of judgment, harm, or oppression

Vindictive Protectiveness

A pattern of culture that seeks to protect individuals from discomfort or offense by punishing the perceived aggressor, often with extreme hostility and a focus on individual transgressions rather than systemic issues

Emotional Reasoning

The cognitive distortion of believing something is true simply because one feels it to be true, without considering any objective evidence. In the context of moral issues, this means mistaking one's feelings for moral facts and allowing emotions to dictate ethical judgments

CBT: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

A form of evidence-based psychotherapy that helps individuals identify and change unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors to improve mood and function