Philosophical Questions:
Apr. 18th, 2026 12:40 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithPeople have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.
How important is freedom of the press to a healthy society?
In a society big enough and advanced enough to have a press field, freedom of the press is essential. People can only make decisions as good as the information they have.
Prior to that, societies distributed information in different ways, and needed methods to protect that. Most had a position along the lines of a bard, whose job was to remember songs and stories from the past, carry news, and create new records of current events. They usually held a position of prestige and protection. I am particularly amused by the Celtic satirists. Nobody could claim insult from them, but in return, they could not claim insult from anyone else; it was balanced. The satirists stood outside the standard parameters for polite interactions. This allowed them to speak inconvenient truths.
Someone always has to be able to call the leader an ignorant fuckwit.
How important is freedom of the press to a healthy society?
In a society big enough and advanced enough to have a press field, freedom of the press is essential. People can only make decisions as good as the information they have.
Prior to that, societies distributed information in different ways, and needed methods to protect that. Most had a position along the lines of a bard, whose job was to remember songs and stories from the past, carry news, and create new records of current events. They usually held a position of prestige and protection. I am particularly amused by the Celtic satirists. Nobody could claim insult from them, but in return, they could not claim insult from anyone else; it was balanced. The satirists stood outside the standard parameters for polite interactions. This allowed them to speak inconvenient truths.
Someone always has to be able to call the leader an ignorant fuckwit.
(no subject)
Date: 2026-04-18 10:10 am (UTC)Otherwise you end up with the mess we've got today.