Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago

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A fast tour of free speech from Athens to AI. Jacob Mchangama makes the case with history, data, and hard questions on hate speech, disinfo, K-12, academic freedom, and platform rules. Practical frames you can use on campus and in policy.
Recorded at HxA’s Mountain West Regional at Colorado State University.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro and speaker bio
01:32 Why free speech is radical
04:14 Athens, parrhesia, and fearless speech
05:02 Athens vs Sparta
06:10 Abbasid translations and open inquiry
07:34 Free speech and equality
09:55 Civil rights wins and minority rights
13:01 Prosperity. Printing press to Dutch Republic
17:10 Objection 1. Hate speech and algorithms
22:56 Why minorities should back free speech
25:18 Objection 2. Disinfo and platform rules
27:07 Lab leak, truth, and gatekeepers
30:01 Objection 3. Kids, books, and curation
33:09 Edge cases and age-appropriate choices
36:34 Public health stakes and censorship
39:48 Lobotomy Nobel as a cautionary tale
41:33 Best argument against free speech
44:16 Talent flows and the U.S. advantage
46:13 Academic freedom vs free speech
48:53 When orthodoxy blocks inquiry
52:32 Free speech and AI. Creative vs intrusive
55:01 User empowerment vs preemptive safety
57:23 Audience Q&A
58:21 Do cultural prerequisites matter
01:01:30 Avoid Milton’s curse
01:04:37 Backing students who invite speakers
01:08:04 Close