Free Speech and Respect

Eoulapa was watching a video on Minecraft's chat regulations.

Eoulapa (murmuring): "Respect is crucial, but so is free speech... Hm, it's an extremely contentious item, and it involves profound and in-depth philosophical and historical debate. Maybe I should abstain from this before I develop a more mature world-view... Actually, since I have been reading books on liberty, rationality, and respect, I could try discussing this with Aufisü. Let me text him..."

Eoulapa: "Hey, lately I've been thinking whether free speech or respect should be prioritised - it depends mostly on the circumstances of course, but in general, which approach do you think is most appropriate?"

It was 11 in the evening, but Aufisü texted back in minutes: "I find your question kind of vague. I guess you should put forth your stance first, then I'll follow."

Eoulapa: "I think free speech outweighs respect. Don't get me wrong - respect is critical, and we should discuss that later, after we get this settled. Anyway, as you know, I've been regularly reading liberal political theory by Rawls and Fukuyama, and according to Rawls, an ideal society must be based on a collective understanding of societal cooperation. He believed that society is 'a cooperative venture for mutual advantage', and thus members of society must accept a 'principle of social justice' concurrently to make way for a 'well-ordered society'. Therefore, respect is essential to the functioning of society."

 

Aufisü: "Ok."

 

Eoulapa: "However, the point I want to get across is that, deriving from society being 'a cooperative venture for mutual advantage', all quarrels are to be solved while treating citizens as free and equal human beings, so all stakeholders' interests are weighed as impartially as possible. With that in mind, we know that discourse should be attempted before forceful implementation. If this is applied to the free speech-respect debate, education and rational discourse are of higher priority than possibly stringent regulations, i.e. institutions and governments should educate and deal with the uncivilised few."

Aufisü: "Alright. Now, we all agree that disrespectful language poses harm. Like how guns are banned for possible complications, disrespectful language should also be banned. Although free speech is imperative for societal cooperation, as it fosters communication and understanding, excessive and malicious language can derail cooperation and instead bring about polarisation, something you and I both despise. Hence, respect might not always trail behind free speech. In fact, I think they are equally important."

Eoulapa: "Well of course they are both paramount on many occasions, but how do you define 'disrespectful language'? Insults vary with the identity of the receiver - something Fukuyama brought up in his book Identity. According to him, humans 'crave positive judgments about their worth or dignity' due to thymos, in addition to 'things that are external to themselves', like food and supercars. He mentioned how civil unions being the resolution to the gay marriage movement did not satisfy homosexual couples, for civil unions are seen as inferior to marriage. They wanted their political systems to 'explicitly recognise the equal dignity of gays and lesbians'. While a heterosexual might find the solution fine, certain homosexuals find it unacceptable, proving that 'disrespect' is subjective. given this, guns and 'disrespectful language' should not be compared, as guns contribute to concrete, measurable harm such as casualties, while 'disrespectful language' impacts specific groups unquantifiably. I agree that we must strike a balance between regulating language and free speech, but as I said, it depends on the circumstances. In the US, guns are sometimes considered acceptable for hunting purposes. In contrast, guns have no use for citizens in Hong Kong. That is why gun usage is still contentious in the US, while Hong Kong people almost unanimously object to gun usage. For US rural citizens, guns pose certain pros (certainly with certain cons as well); for Hong Kong citizens, guns pose virtually no good. We thereby see that the 'appropriacy' of guns can be measured by considering drawbacks and benefits. However, that is not easily done for language. As societies become more diversified, which is now a global trend, ruling out all possibly derogative vocabulary is difficult. Moreover, doing so may thwart discourse, as certain people may misinterpret stern advice as insults. Regardless, deliberately derogative language must be forbidden for the sake of societal cooperation."

Aufisü: "Actually, like you, I have kind of dabbled in Fukuyama's theory, and I like how he expounded on identity politics. So, I understand your point - first educate, then regulate (those insisting on clearly derogative language, not understanding societal cooperation). I guess that to some extent prevents polarisation due to simultaneously upholding thymos and respect and promoting open and extensive communication. By accommodating the more 'conservative' views of the right and accepting the more 'liberal' views of the left, and by asserting the importance of common ground, we can minimise polarisation and hatred."

Eoulapa: "Oh yes, speaking of 'conservatives', those against vaccines, a majority of which identify as 'conservatives', opt for more extreme values like nationalism and far-right ideologies, as they deem vaccine requirements stringent and forceful. In Fukuyama's words, these people felt 'suppressed', and they will thence 'demand recognition of dignity', sometimes even 'in restrictive ways' that are 'not for all human beings, but for members of a particular [...] group'. Similarly, if people find regulations severe, they would not so much adhere to them as resent them. Consequently, though apt regulation is necessary, it must be implemented gradually and with equal regard to the opinions of the public, so as to defend free speech and reap its fruits. Even if respect is put at stake due to misinterpretation or the uncivilised few, with education and free speech, we can advocate values like respect."

Aufisü: "Alright, before I go to sleep for the exam tomorrow, tell me why you suddenly wanted to discuss this?"

Eoulapa: "I was watching a video on Minecraft chatroom rules. The creator found them inimical while affirming the significance of respect, so I was motivated to chat with you about it."

Aufisü: "Okok. Good night."

Eoulapa: "Bye."

~Written 1/11/23 23:35 at home.

That One Friend

Eoulapa woke up.

Eoulapa (faintly): "What was that? A dream imbued with sadness... Yet I can't recollect it... Yet it's wreaking havoc in my heart as if I was on a boat, in a storm..."

Eoulapa proceeded to pick up the phone by his side. Aufisü had messaged him.

Aufisü had written: "Hey Eoulapa, you remember Andöngwonìet ('not misunderstood', formally Āndö̠ngwonìe̋t)? We just had a video call live on Instagram. He said he had meant it as a joke. He didn't mean in. But I guess you're just gonna carry on..."

 

Eoulapa's eyes widened slightly, the content of the dream flashing across his mind. Craving to preserve the dream, started jittering on his phone: "Dude I just had a dream where he came back to visit us, I stumbled upon him somewhere, I initially wanted to avert him, but he stopped me. Then... we were in a room that had the interiors of a well-lit mall. The walls were adorned with verdant artificial plants and leaves... That's all I can recall. But it's impactful. It's stirring feelings of loss and regret in me... Goodness."

Below the sent message emerged a "Read" label, as Aufisü replied: "You were with your friends yesterday, that must have induced your dream. I know you've felt kind of distressed at this, and I know that you rue when you decided to sever connections, but maybe it's not too late right?"

Eoulapa let out a sigh: "It is too late. And I prefer letting the past stay in the past. I don't want to instigate any of my cynicism or embarrassment, especially after forgoing a great friend..."

Aufisü: "Man tell me why you let go in the first place. I remember that you guys had still been intimate, until you suddenly started estranging him right before the end of F3."

Eoulapa: "Because I thought he hurt me. Because I was inundated by emotions. Well, indeed his words left a lasting trauma still present in me, it boils down to my own fault... I thought that concealing my visage would help me, yet here I am, wounded by and responsible for my own choice. But I've always thought that failures and blunders like this one make life actual life. If the mouse never gets caught in the trap, it cannot avoid one. I've learnt lessons from this. And, I've derived a lot of my introspective pieces from this."

Aufisü: "Of course 'mistakes make us grow', but Andöngwonìet aside, you're still held back by your own paranoia, no? You don't even wanna eat with us because of your insecurities."

 

Eoulapa: "That I have spoken about a lot of times."

Aufisü: "Okok. Find me later then, because I'm about to have lunch."

Eoulapa: "Bye."

It was 11am.

~Written 28/10/23 18:31 at home.

Hana Ni Bourei

Aufisü was browsing Instagram when he came across Eoulapa's story. It read "Even the best of songs needs other ones to perfect the story", and it was complemented with Yorushika's Hana Ni Bourei.

Aufisü replied to his story: "What happened? You feeling lonely again?"

Eoulapa: "No, I told you that this enigmatic feeling is not mere loneliness or melancholy - it's a mix of fulfilment, loss, regret, and hope. I guess the closest match is bittersweet, but I've not been great at identifying emotions since years ago..."

Aufisü: "Alright, but are you feeling so? Did something weird happen or what?"

Eoulapa: "I basically went playing Mahjong with my friends, you know, Hungeo ('Cheerful person'; formally Hūng'e̠'o̠), Pemmaìn ('strength'; formally Pe̋mmaì̠n)... Every time after parting ways I feel something peculiar like this. Plus, now I have the company of these dejecting songs, the subtle feeling is perpetuating. Perhaps I prefer it this way, because I can't really access my feelings otherwise. You know, this feeling creates some good stuff. Some of my best pieces, quotes, and poems stem from it."

Aufisü: "Do you somehow like being sad?"

Eoulapa: "I don't specifically have a preference. Besides, sadness has a lot of variations, and some other emotion might involve sadness. It is rare to just experience one pure emotion, after all. But I nonetheless have to thank this bittersweetness for inspiring many self-expression pieces of mine."

Aufisü: "And you resonate with Yorushika's song because it conveys a similar sentiment? Or do you just like the story, as you said?"

Eoulapa: "I said a song, regardless of how good it is on its own, needs other songs to complement it, forming a comprehensive story. I took a liking at once when I stumbled upon Yorushika because their songs are not only melodious, but the stories within also be assembled to make an entirety to confer intricate emotions, with aesthetic metaphors, analogies, and implications. Their songs are truly art. And yes, their songs are often melancholic and abstruse, kind of like my own emotions. Maybe that is the elegance of the unknown and obscure."

~Written 27/10/23 14:04 on a bus.

Eoulapa's Aspiration

While on the bus, Aufisü took out his phone and called Eoulapa. Eoulapa, still waiting for his bus, responded instantly.

Aufisü: "I just realised I have never asked you this... Why do you strive for change? I mean, is it for justice, for efficiency, or like, for your personal preferences?"

Eoulapa: "What is your reason, then? Why did you join me in the first place? I thought you did so because you liked my motive."

Aufisü: "Well, I just don't like those inimical rules... I just wanted to be more free because I thought it would bring me more joy. Besides, a life of study-eat-sleep is too dull. Something to ponder and judge in my spare time would surely benefit me, I thought. And yeah, it does benefit me. Now it's your turn."

Eoulapa: "Freedom and challenges... I get you, but those are peripheral for me. I want change because I find the current system decadent and overly reserved. And of course it's inimical. And inefficient. A little bit dumb, to say the least... Anyway, that's the prime reason I seek change. Because the system causes trouble to people. You remember that Fan Zhongyan once said 'Attend to the people atop the throne, to the emperor down to the homes'（居廟堂之高則憂其民；處江湖之遠則憂其君）?"

Aufisü: "That's quite an aesthetic way to summarise. Anyway, that means you find comments defending the status quo, for example the comments on Casual Wear Day, 'dumb'?"

Eoulapa: "Not all of them but yeah. No offence to the people that made them, but I nonetheless think that they're rehashes of the same excuses, some of which outdated and some others never made sense. For example, someone claimed that the Casual Wear Day, being held on Christmas Party Day, would impede students' sense of belonging because they would not wear their PE uniforms but their own clothes. I mean, that makes zero sense to me. To start with, if the school has to stipulate that students wear their uniforms in order to maintain their sense of belonging, then the school is in dire straits. I've always thought that the leader of a community ought to retain their members through concrete actions, not restrictive acts. This is just an excuse to make up for deficient leadership, and hardly contributes to the issue."

Aufisü: "So that's why you acted avidly to that girl crying... Not out of empathy, but out of irritation due to the rules. Oh then it all makes sense! You used to learn 10 new vocabulary items every day, and the phone regulations restrained it. That's why you resonated with the girl. Ohhhhh. Right. I always find it incredible how you can formulate such arguments so swiftly."

Eoulapa: "OK. And the bus is still missing. It's been 10 minutes... I'd better check out the EAT (estimated arrival time). Talk to you tomorrow."

Aufisü: "Ok then, bye."

Eoulapa, after some minutes, sent an excerpt of John Stuart Mill's On Liberty (Page 67): "He who knows only his own side of the case, knows little of that. His reasons may be good, and no one may have been able to refute them. But if he is equally unable to refute the reasons on the opposite side; if he does not so much as know what they are, he has no ground for preferring either opinion. The rational position for him would be suspension of judgment, and unless he contents himself with that, he is either led by authority, or adopts, like the generality of the world, the side to which he feels most inclination. Nor is it enough that he should hear the arguments of adversaries from his own teachers, presented as they state them, and accompanied by what they offer as refutations. That is not the way to do justice to the arguments, or bring them into real contact with his own mind. He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them; who defend them in earnest, and do their very utmost for them. He must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form; he must feel the whole force of the difficulty which the true view of the subject has to encounter and dispose of; else he will never really possess himself of the portion of truth which meets and removes that difficulty."

~Written 23/10/23 21:00 at home.

School Discourse 2

After visiting Mr Steve, Eoulapa and Aufisü were heading for the bus stop.

Eoulapa: "As I was saying, discourse will be of paramount importance if the principal seeks support from students."

Aufisü: "And do you think it's going well so far?"

Eoulapa: "Well, not quite. As I've said, many schoolmates still ascribe the departures of many teachers to the principal. Like our maths teacher last year. He left all of a sudden, and he reacted positively to the principal's scandalous leaks. Though my friend has told me that the principal has clarified to a group of F3 students, that the teacher's departure was not due to him, the doubts persist because, first of all, only that very group of F3 students has been told this and no one else knows. Second, what about the other teachers? I believe if the principal is to put forth his plan and uphold discourse, he should be the first one to step up and clarify for everything. Or else, he's contradicting himself, which I wish badly not to see."

Aufisü: "And even if the principal does clarify, some more cynical schoolmates might hang on to their beliefs. Will the universal value, as you put it, of discourse really make up for this?"

Eoulapa: "This is exactly the crux of many social phenomena, where the government tries to tackle mistrust, but ends up aggravating it by leaving it unresolved for too long. The principal must avoid this and act promptly, but these doubts become stigmatised into the minds of students. Besides, all social remedies ultimately rely on cooperation, which is founded on trust. This applies to the school's case as well. So basically, the tardy resolution of scandals, rumours, and discontent will not only result in mistrust, but also disabled cooperation within the school."

Aufisü: "Thus the principal has to not contradict himself and proactively discourse."

Eoulapa: "Exactly. Oh, real quick I wanna tell you something. I told you that the principal perhaps can see our Instagram posts right? I've heard that the principal deems us malicious. He thinks that we think we are smart, but in reality he 'knows everything'. I hope that's not the real case. I mean, our accounts aim to pronounce our views and encourage discourse, so I have no idea why the principal sees our attempts as malevolent... Unless he is hiding something, in which case he shall no longer merit our support... But let's see his speech at the Opening Ceremony as a new beginning, regardless of everything."

Aufisü stayed silent.

And Aufisü's bus arrived.

~Written 23/10/23 17:42 at McDonald's.

School Discourse 1

Eoulapa and Aufisü were discussing the school's policies while walking towards the staff room on the ground floor. They were then crossing the Principal's Room.
 
Aufisü: "Ah, you're quite the rebel, no? You've commented much on the controversies and scandals of the principal before, have your stance swayed?"
 
Eoulapa: "Actually, regardless of past incidents and rumours, I find the principal's work on the school pretty sound."
 
They were athwart the staff room. They leaned on the fence and continued chatting.
 
Eoulapa: "And, I don't know if you were sleeping or not, but the principal, during the Opening Ceremony, proclaimed that open discourse and communication, with no subtle machinations behind the scenes, is essential. I particularly like this. Prior to that the whole school was living in mist - teacher departures unaccounted for, sexual rumours, inadequate dispelling... it's good to see some kind of change like this."
 
Aufisü: "Yea, I know you've always been a massive advocate for 'public discourse', so this turn in attitude must be satisfactory, no? Our last-year English teacher reportedly left due to coercion from someone, so I guess this will be elucidated soon."
 
Eoulapa: "I certainly hope so. However, my concerns linger. Mere vocal promises will not bring about results. If the principal, any teacher, or any student has clandestine plans, or, specifically, machinations, the wish for 'discourse' will simply remain a wish, never realised. In short, there cannot be contradictions between the principal and his actions, and so applies to us and our actions, should we conform to his objective."
 
Aufisü: "Absolutely, but how can the principal ensure that students will buy his plan? Since that notable post on NSS last year, a lot of students have been sceptical of the principal, and they often teased him, calling him "lose [redacted]" due to his name."
 
Eoulapa: "I mean, it all depends on them. There was not, is not, and will not be a complete consensus. Values will always differ, however incremental. If, due to this, students and the school refuse to cooperate, the community will break apart. It is with the presence of a 'universal value' that a country thrives, whatever it is. Culture, history, ideology, ethnicity, language... Therefore, our school needs one as well. It's not like it has to be built deliberately, since we already have one devised by the principal - discourse. Public, open, and respectful discourse that relies on concrete action instead of hidden plans. That is what I want the principal, and everyone, to do."
 
The principal was fortuitously walking by. Hearing Eoulapa's words, the principal smiled and paced by.
 
Aufisü: "Wonder if he heard you."
 
Eoulapa: "I don't know... Anyway, discourse is actually undemanding. Most think that they have to write a letter to the principal to qualify for 'discourse', but in reality effective discourse starts with being solicitous and brave. Social media, being a key component of modern-day life, can contribute to this. I've heard reports of the principal asking teachers about our Instagram accounts' content, so just a simple post of opinions can help a ton. I guess they shouldn't refrain from reaching out to teachers as well - I have been in constant contact with some teachers for months now. I hope that this makes them more willing to partake in discourse..."
 
Aufisü: "I hope so. Oh, and there's Mr Fino ('intelligence'; formally fīno̠), let's go talk to him."
 
~Written 21/10/23 12:09 at home.

On Phone 1

Eoulapa and Aufisü were debating on the spot whether the phone usage restrictions of their school should be eased.

Eoulapa: "During recess today, I saw the girl behind me crying. There was a teacher by her, and it looked like the girl had used her phone before she got busted. Initially I hadn't been that furious, but then I heard that teacher advise the girl, that she should contact teachers before reaching out to parents with her phone. I had a hunch that the girl was asking her parents to bring her medicine because she was feeling ill. And I was right. Isn't this a flagrant example of stringent regulations harming students?"

Aufisü: "Why do you think they're stringent? She could have just walked out of the classroom and sought help. As you said, a teacher intervened when she took out her phone. Therefore, a teacher was patrolling the floor. Although feeling ill is a contingency, it's not an excuse for students to violate rules. Unless, of course, you wanna be that 'rebellious brat' you've always deemed yourself to be, and go against these rules with all your might."

Eoulapa: "It seems you don't have a clue what teachers do during recess. Most of the time, only prefects will patrol the floor but not teachers. Besides, very often, only during the earliest parts of the recess will a teacher patrol. Thenceforth they'll be resting in the staff room. With this pattern in mind, isn't it understandable that students will not anticipate a teacher that could promptly offer help, and instead seek help on their own, with their phones? If you want to say that the nearest staffroom is 'just' two floors away, what makes you think that an ill person will risk falling off the stairs, just to find teachers?"

Aufisü: "I mean, you do have a point, but what about the other ramifications of loosened regulations? For example one might indulge in video gaming so much that they spend the entire recess staring at that screen. And what if they consequently develop addictions? Aggravated short-sightedness? Decreased socialisation? Students are already lacking social life from schoolwork!"

Eoulapa: "Of course every action has its merits and demerits. If you fixate on the banes and neglect the boons, nothing will look good to you. We don't even have the statistics to show that the mere 30~60 minutes of recess and lunchtime combined can spark addiction, when it is added into the screen time students get outside school. And I know you'll say that playing games at school is suboptimal. But there's a common counterargument - playing games aid stress relief. How can you counter this and show your point is best?"

Aufisü: "Well, you certainly know me well. But don't get cocky. I can explain exactly why. Even if playing video games relieve stress, what if students don't get enough and decide to play on lessons? What stops them from wanting a new game or continuing the current game? You know, some classmates of ours play games like PUBG, where rounds typically last longer than the 15-minute recess. Therefore, like what you said, I shall 'take into account both merits and demerits'. The demerits here limpidly outweighs the merits. Your logic is that less stress leads to less academic pressure, and bolstered academic motivation results, meaning better attention to lessons and thus better scores. But the playing of video games may detract from students' attention! Hence, the argument that video games relieve stress, in spite of being possibly true, does not support the point that students should be allowed to use their phones during downtime."

Eoulapa: "Precise reasoning there, I'll give you that. However, why not note that lots of classmates are already, in secret, keeping their phones on all day? And to add, the school itself permits the use of phones during recess on the covered playground, for takeaway ordering purposes. Is the abuse of phones on lessons now a widespread issue? No. I understand that some classmates may succumb to their will and thus veer off the lesson. But even so, the partial allowance of phone usage has not engendered anticipated issues. And I haven't addressed your socialisation argument yet. So,"

Eoulapa pointed at a boy next to him.

Eoulapa: "we all know that he and his 'bros' play on their phones during lunch. And we all know that the bond between them is potent, seriously potent. How can you deny that video games contributes to socialisation, instead of distracting from it?"

Aufisü: "Well then how can you prove that it doesn't detract from socialisation?"

And the bell rang. Lunchtime was over.

~Written 20/10/23 12:44, on a bus, then while walking.

The format of this blog

Since that world-changing day on 24 Feb, 2022, on which I was dragged into the spiral of eternal thought and questioning, rumination has been a significant part of my life. Every day, every hour, even every minute, the heads of mine and of (well, literally) my internal "devil's advocate" would come together. He, whom I named Aufisü ("imitation" in my language; formally Aūfísü̠), is the source of all stemming from my brain - anxiety, hope, fear, anticipation, and most importantly, notions.
 
Speaking of notions and my own language, I am a conlanger, striving to pave my own path to the expression of ideas. Most, including me, would follow the convention of elucidating viewpoints in essays. However, those long-winded - and sometimes even ponderous - strings of paragraphs are not necessarily everybody's favourite. It is in light of this that I will designate this blog to be the realisation of some sort of internal dialogue between Eoulapa ("knowledge's slave"; representing me in front of myself and close friends; formally E̠'o̠ U̠la̠pa̋) and Aufisü, two secondary school students, something I have been yearning to do. The naming of this blog, Rianeopa ("expression"; formally Ria̠n E̠'o̠pa̋), also owes to my fondness for writing.

Oh, I forgot to mention. I'm Matheo, most people call me Matthew though, but I don't prefer that name. Matheo is the better name. (Matty was the previous name.) Eoulapa would be my name in dialogues.