Barbecue sausages, not free speech

It's been really fun to be able to have a few socially distant gatherings in our garden recently. The sausages, wine and company have all been excellent, but on at least one occasion I've been reminded about how our society needs community philosophy to help us have better conversations. In one discussion, the subject of free-speech cropped up and the recent open letter to US magazine Harper's, signed by 153 bestselling authors (from across the cultural and political spectrum) including Margaret Atwood and Malcolm Gladwell. The letter defended the need for "robust and even caustic" debate and lamented the recent trend of 'cancel culture' against those who are deemed to have uttered unacceptable views. JK Rowling's now infamous tweets were mentioned and the tone became noticeably tense. One group of friends condemned her as transphobic and the signatories of the letter as obviously representing the privileged status quo with vested interests to protect. Others kept quiet, perhaps in agreement, though, perhaps more likely, to prevent a pleasant evening descending into hostility. A slightly awkward moment was followed by a shift to a less controversial, but also significantly less interesting and important subject.
​Until we can learn to disagree with more civility, and with a greater focus on a humble pursuit of the truth (as opposed to demonstrating the superiority of one 'tribe' over another), we risk being condemned, not only to discussing merely what's growing in our gardens, but, even more worryingly, to live in a society where disagreement with popular norms becomes a dangerous and so unspeakable act.