A good argument for strong norms of free expression is not that it leads to truth, but that it’s a form of system design that protects against the harms produced by small but well-organised groups that impose self-serving orthodoxies and taboos on the broader population. When that happens, you can’t challenge the orthodoxies without risking social punishment. By upholding norms in favour of free expression, however, you lower the scope and costs of such punishment.
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