Phil talks: The resilience and wit of Joanne O’Riordan
It is truly rare when someone you have never met before, know little about and have seemingly few things in common with can affect your entire day, changing your attitude and uplifting your mood. This is what twenty-year-old Cork native Joanne O’Riordan did for me. Between a mountain of college work and society commitments, […]
Professor Brian Cox addresses the Phil to talk populism, philosophy and physics
Particle physicist Professor Brian Cox descended upon the GMB this afternoon to greet science and non-science Trinity students alike. The ‘Wonders of…’ presenter and the author/co-author of over 950 scientific publications and brought this rhetoric to the chamber with his usual eternal grin. Phil president, Matthew Nuding, began by welcoming the acclaimed academic to […]
Offence Versus Incitement: Notes from the Council of Europe Free Speech Conference
Striking a balance “Freedom of expression: still a precondition for democracy?” – this is the title of the Conference hosted by the Council of Europe from the 13-14 October 2015. We can all agree that freedom of expression is a necessary pillar of democracy. This right is enshrined in Article 10 of the European Convention […]
Head to Head: Free Speech Should Never Be Limited
For the right to offend: Guillermo Dillon, Contributing Writer Last week I attended the Phil’s debate on the motion, “This House Believes in the Right to Offend”. The debate was truly depressing. This was not only because those opposing the motion won, but because they saw themselves as heroes leading other students towards a more […]
Maryam Namazie speaks at the Phil after cancelled SOFIA talk
Namazie’s speech touched on her struggle against the “culture of offence”
Let Namazie speak
Even if you believe that racist or Islamophobic speakers ought not be allowed on university campuses, Maryam Namazie is neither. She was banned from speaking at Warwick because the SU believed that her ideas were wrong.
Is no-platforming the right approach?
Posted by Greta Warren on November 25, 2015 · Leave a Comment
Quashing free speech has frightening connotations. While no-platforming a transphobe may seem tempting depending on your beliefs, would this be preferable to opening a dialogue on the prejudice the trans community faces?
Category Comment · Tags Free speech, offence, offense, political correctness, Speech