Getting Rid of Hate Speech

Abstract

The author concludes with the topic of hate speech. This form of communication is unregulated in the Unites States, but most liberal democracies have introduced legislation that prohibits hate speech. The author examines whether hate speech fits with prominent justifications of speech and argues that it does not. He also scrutinises the recent argu-ments of Jeremy Waldron and David Boonin, who seem to offer very different perspectives on the issue. The author argues, however, that their arguments overlap significantly and suggests that both authors cor-rectly conclude that harm prevention legitimises hate speech regulation. Neither Waldron nor Boonin think hate speech should be prevented because it causes offense, and the author offers a counter argument that allows for prohibition in this case as well.