Axel Kaiser: «La maldad de los virtuosos»

Summary

Axel Kaiser argues that people convinced of their own moral purity can become dangerous when they see it as their mission to eradicate evil. He cites religious persecutions, witch trials, the French Revolution, and socialist and Nazi movements as examples of claims to moral or historical truth being used to justify violence and repression. In his view, these movements often treat individuals as expendable in pursuit of an imagined perfect society and deny accused people a meaningful presumption of innocence.

Kaiser sees similar social mechanisms in contemporary “cancel culture.” He argues that people who challenge certain views on identity, gender, or other contested issues may be branded hateful and face public shaming, professional consequences, exclusion, or censorship. He presents cases involving Tim Hunt, Jordan Peterson, and J.K. Rowling as examples, and warns that online denunciations and self-censorship can weaken freedom of expression even without physical violence. These are Kaiser’s characterizations of the cases and of current political trends.

In the discussion, Kaiser urges people not to apologize merely to appease a hostile crowd, while emphasizing that speaking freely does not mean insulting others. He argues that uncomfortable claims should be addressed through debate rather than censorship. He also encourages resilience and cautions against treating every disagreement as victimization. He criticizes what he describes as restrictions on speech by governments, social-media platforms, and universities.

Responding to questions, Kaiser praises Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter, arguing that the platform had applied its rules inconsistently and suppressed some viewpoints while allowing others. On political and institutional change, he says institutions are difficult to reclaim once, in his view, activists have gained control of them. He recommends building alternative media, organizations, and educational projects.

Kaiser also argues that social pressure can become a form of tyranny, invoking John Stuart Mill’s warning that society itself can suppress liberty. He distinguishes Machiavelli’s political reasoning from what he regards as online moral posturing.

Presenters and Contributors

• Axel Kaiser — Speaker and respondent.
• Event host or introducer — Unnamed.
• Audience members — Several unnamed participants who asked questions.