Philosophical Arena – Freedom of Expression & Offense in a Digital Age

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE A STUDENT TO JOIN

THE EVENT WILL BE IN DANISH

Throughout the autumn, Studenterhuset will host a series of talks and discussion evenings under the name Philosophical Arena. Each event will explore philosophical, existential, and societal themes. The goal is not to win debates, but to exchange ideas and learn from one another. The evenings are curated by Martin Romulo from Applied Philosophy (AAU).

Philosophical Arena is a space for free thinking. The word philosophy literally means “love of knowledge.” And no matter what kind of knowledge it may be, knowing more can never be a bad thing. We, as human beings, learn from one another—through both progress and struggle. With Philosophical Arena, we want to show that the best way to grow is through open and honest dialogue, and that we can always become wiser together.

Freedom of Expression & Offense in a Digital Age

In this edition of Philosophical Arena, we’ll discuss freedom of expression in 2025 – in a digital age shaped by social media. With cancel culture, political correctness, and hate speech as our starting points, we’ll take on a topic that is far from simple, yet undeniably necessary to talk about. We’ll ask whether freedom of speech is absolute. When does speech become an act that harms or excludes—and can words themselves cause real damage?

According to philosopher John Stuart Mill, refusing to engage with another person’s argument, or denying them the opportunity to be heard, only grants them more power and validity in their position. He believed that, whether right or wrong, everyone has the right to express their opinion. In contrast, legal philosopher Jeremy Waldron argues that everyone should have the right to go about their daily lives without being intimidated or degraded by hate speech.

In this edition of Philosophical Arena, we’ll look at both sides of the argument—and hopefully gain new insights into an issue that continues to be highly relevant in today’s society.