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How do we judge someones expressed opinion?

A lot of groups want to intimidate others with the words "hate" speech. Now this is valid if the description being criticised expresses hate towards a group or identity.

It is not hate speech if the criticism is of an outlook that demonises anyone who disagrees with a philosophical world view. It maybe the truth.

Truth can be critical of groups, of identities, or behaviours which leads to negative outcomes for individuals.

Are there examples of this on going in our society and do some philosophies get a bad name because of people who are bad examples of ideas, though the ideas are sound?

Does an idea and its consequences validate the idea or are they disconnected?

PeterJens
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  • How is labeling an opinion as "hate speech" a valid way to do anything? Even if it's true. If the claims so labeled are incorrect, then showing they are would be a way to invalidate the speech. If they are true, then labeling them in this way is irrelevant. –  Jul 06 '18 at 18:26
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    It obviously depends, about what. Should we have question old white males who went to Eton getting decide everything, including reproductive issues for women or whether sanitary products are taxed? Surely yes. You speak not about a right to express your views but a right to express hate. The law will always make a distinction. You clearly have an agenda to blur the two, and there is no philosophy in this question. – CriglCragl Jul 06 '18 at 18:30
  • Of course, there even is a name for these kind of fallacy: ad hominem. – rus9384 Jul 06 '18 at 18:32
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    @PeterJens - You should thank CriglCragl for giving the perfect example of what you are asking. Does CriglCragl's comment have a valid idea or is it merely expressing bigotry and hate? How one views the comment affects how sound one interprets the expressed ideas to be. How one views the comment is almost certainly based on experiences gained in society and what is known of various people's philosophies. Clearly, belonging to the "unpopular" group invalidates your opinion in the eyes of many who are so inclined to dislike the "unpopular" group, no matter how sound the opinion. – Dunk Jul 06 '18 at 20:08
  • To tighten your question you may want to distinguish in this question about "ideas" the expression of opinion from the distinct notion of a truth. All sorts of narratives (and as Nietzsche would say "relations of force") swirl around "opinions" as they do "identities" as lived by subjects. The title of your question and what you seem to want to ask in the body however are different. A person can *take* a narrative or opinion to be true but by not precisely defining truth you've removed your means of distinguishing it from opinion. – ClearMountainWay Jul 07 '18 at 13:05
  • I recommend distilling these questions into several that you are interested in, and posting them separately. – Mark Andrews Jul 07 '18 at 20:51
  • I am commenting on the tendency of some to talk about "hate" when it is not present, but is a way of polarising conversation. I have not said anything or "hated" anyone, yet it appears I am being accused of defending hate speech. This is the very thing I am commenting on, and the bias against people from their background and language rather than content. This is polarized point of view and counter productive. Thank you for proving my point. Those who "hate" certain groups, use the term "hate" too quickly.... – PeterJens Jul 07 '18 at 21:28

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Correspondence with reality validates an idea.

Using the consequences to validate an idea is only useful in a very particular fashion. Do those consequences actually exist? If not, then it is evidence against the idea. If they do exist then it may be evidence in favor of the idea, or it may be a coincidence. One tests that on the basis of predictions.

But consider such notions as "this idea produces these horrible consequences, thus I claim this idea is false." This is one of those classical fallacies that has a name: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argumentum_ad_baculum