Social and Critical Theory34 The Freedom to Remain Silent

This book demonstrates how silence is both a precondition for public discourse and a possible means to critically evaluate and challenge prevailing public discussions. The role of silence in democratic settings should be rehabilitated. Democratic theories are concerned with mechanisms and institutions that counteract silence in society. As a supplement to this, it is first demonstrated that we must not forget how silence determines the significance and meanings of utterances made. Secondly, that silence can be used as a critical tool to get better listening, more open conversations, and greater thoughtfulness in the public sphere. The widely recognized freedom of expression should thus be supplemented with a freedom of silence, a freedom to let silence disturb the discursive relevance criteria.