So to Speak: The Free Speech Podcast
News:Politics
In late 2013, some of us at FIRE started noticing a change on college campuses. Students, who were previously the strongest constituency for free speech on campus, were turning against free speech. They began appealing to administrators more frequently for protection from different speakers and using the language of trauma and safety to justify censorship.
During the 1964 Berkeley Free Speech Movement, students demanded more free speech. Now, they were demanding more censorship.
What changed?
Neil Howe may have an answer. He is a historian, economist, and demographer who speaks frequently on generational change. He has co-authored several books with William Strauss, including “Generations” and “The Fourth Turning.” His most recent book, “The Fourth Turning is Here,” was published last year. Howe argues that history has seasonal rhythms of growth, maturation, entropy, and rebirth and that different generations take on different attributes reflecting their place in the cycle.
Joining Howe and host Nico Perrino for the conversation is FIRE President and CEO Greg Lukianoff, co-author of “The Canceling of the American Mind” and “The Coddling of the American Mind.”
Note: Nico’s lavalier microphone was too close to his mouth during this recording, producing what we in the biz call “clipping.” Hence, Nico sounds a bit crunchier than normal. We apologize if it’s distracting, but we hope it’s not!
Timestamps
0:00 Introduction
6:10 Neil’s intent with his book, “Generations”
13:12 Pattern in American history
17:08 The nomad archetype
25:00 Covid and the younger generation
27:28 Do people shape events?
35:35 Gen-Xers and Millennials
41:45 The Fourth Turning
50:24 William James’ “The Moral Equivalent of War”
57:08 Are Gen-Z actually Millennials?
58:10 Dominant generations
01:06:40 How do generational cycles impact civil liberties?
01:10:57 Summary of Millennials
01:18:15 Peaceful periods lead to greater inequality
1:19:16 Outro
Show Notes
Neil Howe’s Substack, “Demography Unplugged”
Greg Lukianoff’s Substack, “The Eternally Radical Idea”
Ep. 136 Comic book panic!
Ep. 135 Are education schools secretly driving campus censorship?
Ep. 134 A cheerleader’s free speech case lands at the Supreme Court
[FIXED] Ep. 133 University of Wisconsin Professor Donald Downs
Ep. 132 Academic Freedom Alliance with Keith Whittington
Ep. 131 ‘Incitement’ with David L. Hudson Jr.
Ep. 130 Stonewalling by the University of California
Ep. 129 ‘The Fight for Free Speech’ with Ian Rosenberg
Ep. 128 John McWhorter says academics are really, really worried
Ep. 127 What happened to American childhood? with Kate Julian and Greg Lukianoff
Ep. 126 Free speech after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot
Ep. 125 National Review’s Charles C.W. Cooke
Ep. 124 ‘Burning the Books’ with Richard Ovenden
Ep. 123 Campus mobs, heckler’s vetoes, racial segregation, and a rogue student government!
Ep. 122 U.S Constitution masterclass with Judge Douglas Ginsburg
Ep. 121 Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment Awards
Ep. 120.1 Mighty Ira documentary watch-along
Ep. 120 ‘Mighty Ira’ Glasser
Ep. 119 2020 College Free Speech Rankings
Ep. 118 David Goldberger, lead attorney in “the Skokie case”
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