Free speech is inherently hard to uphold consistently; even canonical defenders like John Milton carved out exceptions. Jacob Mchangama labels this recurrent pattern 'Milton’s Curse,' arguing that hypocrisy is a feature of human nature and political coalitions, not an aberration. The practical task is expanding the circle of tolerated speech over time despite that bias.
— This framing equips policymakers and institutions to expect and mitigate partisan double standards in speech debates rather than treating each episode as novel bad faith.
Chris Bray
2025.12.02
62% relevant
Bray’s piece emphasizes routine elite performative hypocrisy — speaking ritualized lines that contradict lived experience — which parallels the 'Milton’s Curse' observation that defenders of abstract speech norms routinely carve exceptions; here the target is expert ritual and political performance.
Tyler Cowen
2025.11.30
88% relevant
The excerpt documents FDR’s active support for wartime speech suppression (Sedition and Espionage Acts) and regulatory leverage over radio—concrete examples of the recurring pattern that even canonical free‑speech defenders make principled exceptions, which is the core claim of the 'Milton’s Curse' idea.
Yascha Mounk
2025.10.07
100% relevant
Mchangama’s remark that 'we are all hypocrites about free speech,' illustrated by Milton’s Areopagitica excluding Catholics and blasphemy.