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Is free speech hate speech?

1. Read the quote and discuss what it means. State whether you agree with it and explain your answer.

“If you don’t believe in free speech for people who you disagree with, and even hate for
what they stand for, then you don’t believe in free speech.” — Ricky Gervais, actor

2. Look at two definitions and discuss the questions.

free speech:
refers to the right to freedom of opinion and expression; includes freedom to hold opinions
without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas
through any media and regardless of frontiers

hate speech:
offensive discourse targeting a group or an individual based on inherent characteristics
(such as race, religion or gender) that may threaten social peace

T Both definitions are provided by the UN: free speech, hate speech
• Do you agree that free speech is a human right? Do you feel that you
can exercise this right? Why/Why not?
• Do you agree with the definition of hate speech? Is hate speech an
issue where you live? Are there any laws to silence extremist
expression where you live?
• Is there room for interpretation of these definitions? How might
people interpret them differently?

3. Watch part of a video [https://youtu.be/tIwYTq-v_2o] (to 04:07) in which three speakers talk about
freedom of speech. Explain which viewpoint resonated with you most.
Speaker 1 feels that speech has the potential to do equal harm and good, and thus censorship exists.
The question is whether to trust government or civilians to monitor speech. Often, the people driving
censorship do so to perpetuate their own power and silence critics. Freedom of speech forms the
essential basis of many human rights and positive aspects of society. [00:12] Speaker 2 feels that
T there is a difference between advocating for a principle and advocating for its implications, e.g. you
may not agree with the sentiment but you agree that someone has a right to express it. You can also
test your ideas out on people via arguments and you can even learn to enjoy this practice. [01:45]
Speaker 3 feels that we should legally be able to say whatever we want. He is strongly against hate
speech laws and feels that they are anti-democratic. He also feels that hate speech laws don’t
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Is free speech hate speech?

necessarily remove the hate and that criminalizing thought is a slippery slope, but he agrees that
today’s society is more hateful than ever and he acknowledges the intent behind such actions. [02:40]
You can also ask students to compare their country with the US when it comes to free speech: Is free
speech as passionately advocated for in your country as it is in the US? What makes you think that? Is
it as divisive a topic? Why/Why not?

4. Choose three viewpoints to complete and provide more details about your answer.
You can invite students to discuss more points if they have not yet been discussed at this point in the
T
lesson.
• Freedom of expression leads/doesn’t lead to people distorting and exaggerating information,
because…
• Hate speech laws lessen/increase fear and reluctance to express oneself freely…
• Social media platforms ensure/don’t ensure an equal balance between regulating hateful content
and allowing free speech…
• Many people consider/don’t consider free speech to be the
cornerstone of democracy… polarization:
a process whereby people
• Polarization is/isn’t the result of free speech…
are divided into two
• Strict speech regulation often makes us more/less inclined to separate groups as a result
talk about a taboo subject, because… of opposing ideologies
• Censorship is/isn’t taken seriously in modern society….

5. Look at the following examples of censorship and discuss the questions.

cutting books out of school curriculums banning religious symbols from workplaces

removing social media posts censoring media like TV ads

criticizing the government and songs on the radio

• Have you heard any stories like these? What happened?

• Can you think of any other ways that information can be censored?
• Do you think there is any benefit to censorship? Why/Why not?
• Can censorship exist in a democratic country? Why/Why not?

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Is free speech hate speech?

• Should censorship be applied in times of crisis (e.g. war, pandemic, economic crisis)? Does it do
more good or harm?
• Should art be censored? Why/Why not? Is it more difficult to censor art than other areas, e.g.
education, media?
• Is censorship different online and offline? If so, how? Should it be considered the same thing?

6. Read the scenarios in the boxes and answer the questions.

A celebrity posts a misogynistic statement. Some of his fans believe he has

the right to unrestricted expression; others believe he is abusing his platform
and advocate for stricter content regulation.

• Do you think instances like this proliferate hateful views or are simply a way to exercise a human
right? Do you feel that posts like this should be regulated?
• Do you think celebrities usually face consequences for similar actions online? If yes, what kind of
consequences?

A film director is publicly and actively in favour of one side in a war, inciting both outrage
and support from fans. Many of those who disagree have decided to stop watching
their films but others feel that the art and the artist are unrelated.

• Would you stop watching the director’s films if their views opposed yours?
• Have you ever experienced something like this with an artist whose work you admire? Did you
continue to support them?
• Have you heard of any similar cases? Give details.

A corporation fires an employee for expressing xenophobic views outside the workplace.
Some believe that this promotes a healthier work environment
and others think that it restricts personal behaviour.

• Do you think companies have the right to fire employees based on their beliefs? Why/Why not?
• Are there any workplace laws related to speech regulation where you live?
• What might be an alternative course of action? How could the corporation foster constructive
discourse to help the situation?

Copyrights by ESL Brains. For use only with license.