[rtp]

Just because you think the state should allow any discussion and any opinion, doesn't mean you need to think its content is worthy or valuable. Do you think nazism should get as much exposure as something you like? Creationism? Flat-earthism? Any fringe idea with five believers?

[lagadu]

Yes, actually. I legitimately think that no viewpoint or idea should be censored no matter how distasteful I may find it to be.

Would I prefer to live in a nazi or communist society? No, but I prefer to live in a society that in theory can, in a worst case scenario, turn into either of those eventually than in one that cannot.

edit: unless we include some sort of utopian society where we're ruled by some perfect AI or where everyone has perfect information access and decision-making of course but that's science fiction.

[rtp]

I'm not talking about censorship. I'm talking about all ideas getting equal exposure. If you follow that "equal exposure" idea to its conclusion, then what should be taught in "biology" class for example is evolution, protestant creationism, catholic creationism, sunni creationism, shia creationism, scientologic creationism, last thursdayism etc ad nauseam. Now, there isn't much to talk about regarding last thursdayism. But if everything should get equal exposure, then logically you must teach as much about evolution as last thursdayism, which is to say not a lot. So eventually you'd reduce ideas to the minimum viable size of an idea . And then there might be so many ideas that you'll die of old age before you're done being taught all the ideas.

[SpicyLemonZest]

Creationism is not a fringe idea! I think that illustrates the major flaw of your mindset. If you screen off entire categories of ideas as not worth thinking about, you're going to get a systematically incorrect view of the world.

[myko]

> Creationism is not a fringe idea!

When people discuss creationism they're usually talking about Young Earth Creationism which is absolutely a fringe idea

[SpicyLemonZest]

It is not. Over a third of American adults believe humans were created by God in their present form.

[myko]

It really depends on how you ask them the question: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/how-many-c...

> When asked the single-question version, just 18 percent of U.S adults say humans have always existed in their present form, while 81 percent say humans have evolved over time.

For example, most of these folks wont say the Earth is 10,000 or 6,500 years old. When asked they'll say the planet is much older.

[rtp]

Why would screening off entire categories of ideas lead to a systematically incorrect view of the world? Or why would entertaining those ideas lead to a less incorrect view of the world?

[SpicyLemonZest]

It stops you from noticing what other people believe and why, which stops you from understanding them even if you ultimately believe they're wrong.

[tw04]

Which pressures them into either keeping it to themselves or being pressured by society to change their beliefs. The “respect everyone’s opinion” is how we got Charlottesville. Tolerance can and should have limits.