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Jonathan Rauch

Kindly Inquisitors: The New Attacks on Free Thought, Expanded Edition Paperback – January 23, 2014

by Jonathan Rauch (Author, Afterword), George F. Will (Foreword)

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“A liberal society stands on the proposition that we should all take seriously the idea that we might be wrong. This means we must place no one, including ourselves, beyond the reach of criticism; it means that we must allow people to err, even where the error offends and upsets, as it often will.” So writes Jonathan Rauch in Kindly Inquisitors, which has challenged readers for more than twenty years with its bracing and provocative exploration of the issues surrounding attempts to limit free speech. In it, Rauch makes a persuasive argument for the value of “liberal science” and the idea that conflicting views produce knowledge within society.

In this expanded edition of Kindly Inquisitors, a new foreword by George F. Will strikingly shows the book’s continued relevance, while a substantial new afterword by Rauch elaborates upon his original argument and brings it fully up to date. Two decades after the book’s initial publication, while some progress has been made, the regulation of hate speech has grown domestically―especially in American universities―and has spread even more internationally, where there is no First Amendment to serve as a meaningful check. But the answer to bias and prejudice, Rauch argues, is pluralism―not purism. Rather than attempting to legislate bias and prejudice out of existence or to drive them underground, we must pit them against one another to foster a more vigorous and fruitful discussion. It is this process that has been responsible for the growing acceptance of the moral acceptability of homosexuality over the last twenty years. And it is this process, Rauch argues, that will enable us as a society to replace hate with knowledge, both ethical and empirical.

“It is a melancholy fact that this elegant book, which is slender and sharp as a stiletto, is needed, now even more than two decades ago. Armed with it, readers can slice through the pernicious ideas that are producing the still-thickening thicket of rules, codes, and regulations restricting freedom of thought and expression.”―George F. Will, from the foreword

Print length

216 pages
Language

English
Publisher

University of Chicago Press
Publication date

January 23, 2014
Dimensions

8.4 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
ISBN-10

022614593X
ISBN-13

978-0226145938
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for the previous edition

“Fiercely argued. . . . What sets his study apart is his attempt to situate recent developments in a long-range historical perspective and to defend the system of free intellectual inquiry as a socially productive method of channeling prejudice.”

― Michiko Kakutani, New York Times

“Like no other, this book restates the core of our freedom and demonstrates how great, and disregarded, the peril to that freedom has become.”

― Chicago Tribune

“Stands out as a thoughtful, provocative defense of civil liberties and liberal inquiry. Jonathan Rauch’s unique perspective, derived from personal experience, lends to the poignancy of his thesis.”

― William F. Weld, former governor of Massachusetts

“To observe that American political and intellectual discourse has become polarized, intolerant of all but the most predictable ideological nostrums, censorial of anything deemed to be remotely ‘politically incorrect,’ and generally lacking in subtlety, a free spirit of inquiry, or honest quest for truth, has perhaps become trite. Twenty years ago it was less so, and it was then that Rauch wrote a book called Kindly Inquisitors. In retrospect, Rauch was extraordinarily prophetic in his assessment of the evolving state of free speech and thought. [This] newly updated version of Kindly Inquisitors provides an opportune moment to reflect on this extraordinarily deep and provocative essay, a true tour de force of logic, integrity and moral passion.”

― Forbes Published On: 2013-11-08

"A modern classic explaining the importance of free speech in society.”

― Greg Lukianoff, Huffington Post Published On: 2013-11-08

“An eloquent attack on the advocates of political correctness.”

― Economist

“It has been twenty years since the first edition of Kindly Inquisitors, yet conflicts persist. This book is worth a second look twenty years later. It will no doubt lead the reader to reflect upon the nature of social and political change within a technologically networked society.”

― ID: International Dialogue Published On: 2015-01-26

About the Author

Jonathan Rauch is a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution, a contributing editor of the Atlantic and National Journal, and the author of six books, including Government’s End and Gay Marriage: Why It Is Good for Gays, Good for Straights, and Good for America.

Product details

Publisher : University of Chicago Press; Enlarged edition (January 23, 2014)
Language : English
Paperback : 216 pages
ISBN-10 : 022614593X
ISBN-13 : 978-0226145938
Item Weight : 10.2 ounces
Dimensions : 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #107,186 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #43 in Civil Rights Law (Books)
- #110 in General Constitutional Law
- #269 in Censorship & Politics

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136 ratings

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Brilliant Argument for Free Speech and Free Thought

Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2018

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This is the best book I've ever read arguing for free speech. Rauch argues that suppressing offensive speech whether by government or private institutions actually harms the cause of who are offended. He uses himself as a gay man as an example of an oppressed minority that greatly benefited from the free speech during the time that homosexuality became morally acceptable to most Americans.

I love this book. It has a rigorous and unique argument. This book was written 25 years ago, but it is more relevant now than it was then. I am horrified by the current climate of the regulation of speech not by government but by private institutions such as universities, the media, and corporations. There are daily online mob attacks on those who have said something that someone considers offensive. In my mind it's out of control.

According to Rauch without free speech the path to truth is severely constrained. I heartily agree with this sentiment. I highly recommend this book.

12 people found this helpful

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David A. Wasmer

As a conservative, I recommend this book

Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2020

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As a conservative, I don't agree with every political position discussed in the book, but Jonathan Rauch does an excellent job of relating the success or failure of every political position back to free speech. The book is one of the more coherent books I have read. Every word contributes to the subject that is the title of this book.

Rauch argues that when there is free speech, civil liberties expand. When speech is censored and suppressed, civil liberties shrink. Currently, the postmodernists and neo-Marxists (but I repeat myself) advocate for censoring speech. They don't stop there. These tyrants want to cancel anyone that doesn't tow the Leftist social justice line. This book was written in 1993... well before the 2020 "mostly" peaceful protests that included murder, burning, rioting, looting, and general vandalism.... well before the Tech Tyrants began censoring speech.

This book is more relevant today than it was in 1993. I recommend every one of every political persuasion read this book.

5 people found this helpful

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Robert Hayes

Sometimes the truth hurts

Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2017

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As someone who values free speech, limited experience at my college has taught me that not everyone else does, whether or not they admit it. More and more these days it seems like people are content to take the easy way out and stifle opinions that they don't agree with, and this happens on both sides of the political spectrum. The core message of Rauch's book, which is still relevant today, is liberal scientific inquiry, the methodical pursuit and acquisition of knowledge, is the best way to decide what is true. It's basically evolutionary theory and the scientific method applied to epistemology. All other roads lead to totalitarianism. For the casual reader, the early, philosophy-heavy sections might be a little dense, but it's definitely worth the effort. This is a book that has stood the test of time, and thankfully we've made progress since the early 90's. If you care in the least about liberty, I highly suggest you pick up a copy and start reading it immediately.

8 people found this helpful

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Stimulating Discussion of Epistemology and Free Speech Issues

Reviewed in the United States on March 20, 2021

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This was a book that went in a different direction than I thought. My impression was that it would be more about telling stories of attacks on free thought, but it was instead more an argument about epistemology (and the book unashamedly defends the use of the word epistemology and its importance), and what the best system for obtaining truth (or things approaching truth) is. So it became more philosophical (even if it remained grounded in real-world applications) than I expected.

As you may guess, the book is an argument for free speech/thought, but not from a first amendment legal argument, but from a cultural/system-of-knowledge view. Rauch argues that there are several different possible conceptions of how to determine true beliefs. There is the system where those who know the Truth get to decide, all sincere people's beliefs have equal respect, beliefs of persons in historically oppressed classes/groups get special consideration, any of the these but with condition that first priority be to cause no hurt, and finally the "liberal principle" of checking of each by each through public criticism is the only legitimate way to decide who is right. Rauch considers all of these possibilities and points out why someone may find them compelling as well as their flaws, including the "liberal principle", though he clearly favors it. Rauch is a proponent of "liberal science" with the "liberal principle" which consists of two rules in practice, no one gets the final word (all knowledge is tentative and subject to revision by public criticism) and no one has personal authority.

I appreciated that Rauch took the other positions' seriously and explained his criticisms of them, but is also quite forward about the disadvantages of the liberal principle (such as that people will feel offence and hurt if their position is ignored or considered wrong, though I doubt his case will be found convincing by those who strongly value "no hurt") as well as the advantages of the system. At bottom, he argues that, like democracy, the liberal science way of getting knowledge may not be perfect but it is the best way we have, and that, indeed, it has made spectacular progress.

This book was first written in the 1990s and there is an afterword from the 2010's that looks at some more modern examples and explores moral knowledge, that is also well-argued and interesting. I think that Rauch does throughout the book to approach people's concerns with "liberal science" while also admitting that it cannot be "proved" (which would be self-contradictory given that nothing is completely proved given the rules), but that we need to fully consider the possible disadvantages of alternatives. Given the rise of social media, and the arguments about false or misleading news (or the control the social media companies now have over what people see), it would be interesting to see if Rauch would update the book to address such concerns.

I am certain that this will not be final the word on free speech issues (I'm sure that there are weak points that I missed in some of his arguments; at least Rauch would agree that the book can and should be argued about!), but Rauch makes interesting and well-formed arguments with well-written prose, and has a perspective that I thought was straightforward and different than the standard defense of free speech/thought. I usually see people go more to legal and JS Mill-style arguments when they argue for free speech/thought; Rauch has a somewhat though not completely similar defense and it certainly is worth pondering.

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Penny Thoughtful

Freedom of speech and WHY

Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2017

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This is the best book I have ever read on the topic of freedom of speech. Everyone should read this book. It explains why JUST being an oppressed minority is not enough reason to be considered CORRECT on its own, and why tolerance of offensive speech can actually promote the freedom of minorities. A lot of it is set in the 1990's when the "free speech zone" type controversies on college campuses were new, but it's just as relevant today and will explain why you feel torn between being nice and being right. The last part of the book updates everything and talks about how gay rights came to be accepted in a startlingly short period of time. Extremely valuable read!

2 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

C Nicholl-Shelley

Breathtakingly succinct. But missin letters?!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 11, 2018

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Exceeded expectations!
The erosion of liberty began in my lifetime!
Once I got thro' the 1st chapter expecting another tired but valid tirade on 'muh SJW's'
The way the book dazilingly summerises extremly complex ideas to a gutsy case against groupthink that began in 1993 is staggering.
One point, on print is strangly low qualit with ends of some words missin!

3 people found this helpful

Rosa Ventura

A must read for anyone who really thinks about free speech

Reviewed in Canada on October 25, 2020

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A an excellent read. The author discusses what he sees as the threats to this freedom, which are primarily fundamentalist and humanitarian. His discusion of these notions is compelling and well argued. But the author does not just leave us with what we should avoid if we really care about free speech but he also discusses the Importance of what he calls Liberal science. Why it works, how it works, and why we should not give up on it...

One person found this helpful

Steve P

Brilliant

Reviewed in Australia on August 18, 2019

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This book is brilliant! Presented with impeccable, potent logic, Rauch presents an incisive analysis of the poor thinking that plagues the issue of free speech in society. If you're interested in this topic, and what threatens to undermine this fundamental human right, and how we need to think about it clearly, it's a must-read.

J. Dean

A fascinating and well-documented look into the underlying historical philosophies ...

Reviewed in Canada on July 14, 2018

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A fascinating and well-documented look into the underlying historical philosophies that grew into liberal science and the threats liberal science faces from both fundamentalists and humanitarians. The book is even more relevant today than decades ago when it was written, and this edition contains an afterward added more recently to reflect modern times.

One person found this helpful

Pheebee

Brilliant

Reviewed in Canada on August 7, 2020

Verified Purchase

The best book on free speech.

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