Ep. 40 “The neurodiversity case for free speech” w/ Geoffrey Miller
Episode description
Would Isaac Newton succeed on the modern college campus? The genius who discovered the laws of motion, but who also obsessed over alchemy, was introverted and prone to unpredictable mood swings. Scholars believe he may have had autism, which is one of the many neurological conditions that contribute to “neurodiversity” in the world. And according to one new theory, the way modern colleges regulate speech is particularly chilling for neurodivergent people, like Newton, who are estimated to make up at least 20 percent of the population.
On today’s episode of So to Speak, we chat with University of New Mexico Associate Professor Geoffrey Miller. He is the author of two new articles, titled “The neurodiversity case for free speech” and “Mental health ‘disabilities’ as legal superpowers.” In these articles, he argues that overbroad and vague campus speech codes could discriminate against neurodivergent people with diagnosed mental health disabilities.
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