Can I say this?

Society discussion: Kyle Rittenhouse's trial

uodfreespeechsociety@gmail.com (Dundee Students' Free Speech Society) — Mon, 29 Nov 2021 15:58:00 -0800

A few members of the society get together to discuss the recent trial of Kyle Rittenhouse in the US.

Jane Fenton on freedom of expression and debate in the university classroom

uodfreespeechsociety@gmail.com (Dundee Students' Free Speech Society) — Tue, 9 Nov 2021 15:17:00 -0800

Jane Fenton, social work lecturer at the University of Dundee, joins us for a lovely conversation about free speech in the classroom. During the Q&A after the talk, there are some interruptions because the microphone could not capture audio coming from the whole room, our apologies. For more information about the society, look up Dundee University Free Speech Society on Facebook or Instagram. To contact us, email freespeechsociety@dundee.ac.uk.

The other side: Israeli-Palestinian conflict

uodfreespeechsociety@gmail.com (Dundee Students' Free Speech Society) — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 16:03:00 -0700

The second lecture of "The other side" is presented by André, the president of the society, and focuses on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. We hope you will find this a complete, comprehensible and (mostly) unbiased account of the events that made the Israeli-Palestinian conflict what it is today. For more information about the society, look up Dundee University Free Speech Society on Facebook or Instagram. To contact us, email freespeechsociety@dundee.ac.uk.

Neil Thin on moral curiosity and the campus social climate

uodfreespeechsociety@gmail.com (Dundee Students' Free Speech Society) — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 15:37:00 -0700

Neil Thin, the Edinburgh social anthropology lecturer towards which there was a cancellation attempt earlier this year, joins us for a conversation about the current sentiment of academia towards moral curiosity. For more information about the society, look up Dundee University Free Speech Society on Facebook or Instagram. To contact us, email freespeechsociety@dundee.ac.uk.

The other side: vaccines

uodfreespeechsociety@gmail.com (Dundee Students' Free Speech Society) — Tue, 26 Oct 2021 15:21:00 -0700

Introducing "The other side", a series of lectures focused on tackling the divide between the different sides of pretty much every issue.

Today's world is filled with self-entitlement, very obvious on how defenders of different sides of controversial issues portray their opponents (this was very obvious in the way the left justified Donald Trump's victory in the 2016 election by describing his voters as racists, sexists, homophobes, etc., and in the way the right describes leftists, as communists, snowflakes, cry-babies, etc.). We think that this is one of the main issues in our society, which dehumanises and delegitimises everyone that has contrary opinions. If nothing changes about this phenomenon, we fear that society will progress to increasingly larger divides between the different sides of important arguments and controversies, to a point where reaching a consensus will be impossible.

Therefore, we pretend to fight against this trend, by portraying the advocates of different sides of important issues in an unbiased manner, which will, hopefully, humanise them and legitimise their opinions and ideas. It is only by truly trying to understand the other side and their motivations that genuine consensus can be reached.

The first of this series of lectures was presented by Cat, the society's vice-president, and was focused on vaccines. Given the increasingly popular movement of people opposing the administration of vaccines, she tried to explain why some people are against vaccines, what worries them and why they are, rather than a bunch of anti-science lunatics, people with genuine concerns, which should be addressed.

For more information about the society, look up Dundee University Free Speech Society on Facebook or Instagram. To contact us, email freespeechsociety@dundee.ac.uk.

David Booth on academic freedom

uodfreespeechsociety@gmail.com (Dundee Students' Free Speech Society) — Fri, 9 Apr 2021 13:48:00 -0700

David Booth, lecturer at the School of Life Sciences, joins us for a conversation about academic freedom and free speech in science. For more information about the society, look up Dundee University Free Speech Society on Facebook or Instagram. To contact us, email uodfreespeechsociety@gmail.com.

Jade Kouletakis on Scotland's Hate Crime Bill

uodfreespeechsociety@gmail.com (Dundee Students' Free Speech Society) — Fri, 2 Apr 2021 14:41:00 -0700

Jade Kouletakis, lecturer of Law at the University of Abertay, joins us for a conversation about Scotland's new, and controversial, Hate Crime Bill. For more information about the society, look up Dundee University Free Speech Society on Facebook or Instagram. To contact us, email uodfreespeechsociety@gmail.com.

Stephen Hicks on postmodernism

uodfreespeechsociety@gmail.com (Dundee Students' Free Speech Society) — Tue, 30 Mar 2021 09:58:00 -0700

The widely acclaimed philosopher Stephen Hicks joins us for a conversation about postmodernism! For more information about the society, look up Dundee University Free Speech Society on Facebook or Instagram. To contact us, email uodfreespeechsociety@gmail.com.

William Lane Craig on the Kalam Cosmological Argument

uodfreespeechsociety@gmail.com (Dundee Students' Free Speech Society) — Sat, 27 Mar 2021 08:03:00 -0700

William Lane Craig, the renowned religious scholar, joins us for a conversation about the Kalam Cosmological Argument for the existence of God! For more information about the society, look up Dundee University Free Speech Society on Facebook or Instagram. To contact us, email uodfreespeechsociety@gmail.com.

Alex "CosmicSkeptic" O'Connor on scepticism and religion

uodfreespeechsociety@gmail.com (Dundee Students' Free Speech Society) — Sun, 21 Mar 2021 09:05:00 -0700

Alex O'Connor, the man behind the YouTube channel CosmicSkeptic, joins us for a conversation about scepticism and religion! For more information about the society, look up Dundee University Free Speech Society on Facebook or Instagram. To contact us, email uodfreespeechsociety@gmail.com.

Q&A with Richard Dawkins

uodfreespeechsociety@gmail.com (Dundee Students' Free Speech Society) — Sun, 21 Mar 2021 08:59:00 -0700

The great evolutionary biologist and atheist Richard Dawkins joins us for a Q&A about his books! For more information about the society, look up Dundee University Free Speech Society on Facebook or Instagram. To contact us, email uodfreespeechsociety@gmail.com.

Conor Philip on free speech in comedy

uodfreespeechsociety@gmail.com (Dundee Students' Free Speech Society) — Tue, 9 Mar 2021 13:33:00 -0800

Conor Philip, amateur comedian and president of the University of Dundee's Comedy Society, joins us for an informal conversation about free speech and its relevance in comedy. For more information about the society, look up Dundee University Free Speech Society on Facebook or Instagram. To contact us, email uodfreespeechsociety@gmail.com.

Joey Siu on the threat of China to Hong Kong's democracy

uodfreespeechsociety@gmail.com (Dundee Students' Free Speech Society) — Sun, 7 Mar 2021 15:48:00 -0800

Joey Siu, of the Hong Kong Watch , talks to the Dundee Students' Free Speech Society about China's threat to Hong Kong and its autonomy. For more information about the society, look up Dundee University Free Speech Society on Facebook or Instagram. To contact us, email uodfreespeechsociety@gmail.com.

Peter Hitchens on government handling of the pandemic

uodfreespeechsociety@gmail.com (Dundee Students' Free Speech Society) — Sat, 20 Feb 2021 17:50:00 -0800

This is the recording of the second event of the Dundee University Free Speech Society, in which we hosted Peter Hitchens for a conversation about the way the British government has handled the pandemic. For more information about the society, look up Dundee University Free Speech Society on Facebook or Instagram. To contact us, email uodfreespeechsociety@gmail.com.