Why pitting prejudices against each other keeps society free | Jonathan Rauch

Should all speech be free? How much intolerance should society tolerate?

- For society to stay open and free, you don't need to eliminate prejudice. You need the opposite: All kinds of prejudice pitted against each other.

- Intellectual diversity helps society as a whole learn the truth. And as long as society has rules that force ideas to be openly tested, the intolerant will not gain the upper hand.

- "In America it's legal to be intolerant. It may not be right. It may not get you accepted or respected. But absolutely it's legal and it should be legal," says Jonathan Rauch.

Jonathan Rauch is the author of six books and many articles on public policy, culture, and government. He is a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution, a contributing editor of The Atlantic, and recipient of the 2005 National Magazine Award.


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