Kim- Blog Post 7

     In chapter three of Speech Matters, Shiffrin makes an argument about a thinker-based approach to freedom of speech. A particular part of the argument that I wanted to focus on, was her argument on how a thinker-based approach to freedom of speech explains the first amendment protecting only against state action and not by "private forms of interference," like companies.  (pg. 109)


   According to her approach, the thinker-based view supports the moral right against both private and public censorship, however, she argues that there is a reason to make "protection against public censorship discrete." (pg. 109) Because the state is given so much power and influence, the potential threat given by the state is greater than the threat posed by various private sources. Furthermore, she argues that there may be justifiable reasons that "voluntary private association" can restrict freedoms of speech or "exclude members." (pg. 109) However, in certain cases and contexts excluding members based on the basis of their thoughts may be wrong. Therefore, she claims that it is compatible with a thinker-based approach for a political system to regulate through legislation freedom of speech in private associations while protecting the freedom of speech from government intrusion in the constitution. 


    While I was reading this, I had to question the protection of freedom of speech from massive private entities. She admits that the "strength of the distinction" between private and public entities(the state) "wanes in contexts where private entities control vase amounts of resources." (pg. 109) Facebook today has become so massive that a lot if not most of the public information that we receive is through it. It has played a major part in the development of our minds and thoughts. Furthermore, it could be argued that it has created bubbles in which people are only exposed to views similar to their own. An argument could be made that such acts negatively influence the development of my mind and thoughts, which by the thinker-based approach is the purpose of freedom of speech. Could the ubiquitousness of Facbook and the role that it plays on the "development and maintenance of the self-qua thinker," put it not under the purview of legislation but on the constitution?  

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