Jon Rauch on free speech
From ‘The Constitution of Knowledge’ with Jonathan Rauch: So to Speak podcast · · FIRE
“Free speech is essential and important, but it's not enough to make knowledge because humans are inherently biased and we don't see our biases. The only way to turn our views into knowledge is through structured social conversation and institutions like courts, law enforcement, scientific organizations, academia, and newsrooms.”
On , Jon Rauch, Vice President & Chief Accounting Officer at CHURCHILL DOWNS INC, spoke about free speech during ‘The Constitution of Knowledge’ with Jonathan Rauch: So to Speak podcast on FIRE.
About Jon Rauch
Jonathan Rauch, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and contributing editor for National Journal and the Atlantic, has been active in discussions on free speech, the nature of knowledge, and the intersection of gay rights and religious liberty. In a 2021 podcast appearance, Rauch discussed his book "The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth," describing the "constitution of knowledge" as a system of norms and institutions that keep society "moored to reality." He argued that free speech alone is insufficient for producing knowledge due to inherent human biases, and that structured social conversation and institutions are necessary. Rauch characterized attacks on this system as a deliberate disinformation campaign, attributing them to Donald Trump and his allies, as well as to "cancel culture" on campus. He also stated that social media companies face a "Herculean job" in building barriers to propaganda and intimidation. In a 2017 lecture at the University of Illinois College of Law, Rauch addressed the conflict between gay rights and religious liberty. He described the Equality Act and the First Amendment Defense Act as emblematic of a hardening of positions into "legal and political trench warfare." Rauch argued that religious people and institutions have a "legitimate and well-founded claim" to accommodation, even if their actions are seen as intolerant. He contrasted an "absolutist" model of non-discrimination, which he said militates against balancing interests, with a more flexible approach that he argued offers less social resistance and more political hope for future claimants, including transgender people. Rauch characterized the conflict as a "canary in the mine shaft" for whether society will adopt an absolutist or pluralistic interpretation of non-discrimination.