One of the perennial stories of the world is a younger generation espousing opinions that are heretical to an older generation. So-called grown-ups tend to write it off as youthful rebelliousness and, of course, there may be an element of that, but there is usually more to the story. Here I chose to explore one facet of that, partly because I think it illuminates something noteworthy about the importance of vigorous respectful public discourse and the right to freely articulate one's honest opinions.
In his On Liberty
, John Stuart Mill explores
the subject of Free Speech fairly thoroughly. The last point or two of the
case I quote on the linked page has been eloquently summed up by a stencilled
graffito I have seen around Oslo: Når alle tenker likt, tenker
ingen
(when all think the same, none think): any orthodoxy which goes
entirely unchallenged – whether because no-one disagrees with it or
because those who do are silenced – is prone to becoming meaningless.
Folk nominally adhere to it while more or less ignoring its meaning and without
giving any real thought to what alternatives there might be, let alone why it is
(supposedly) better than them. Folk profess the orthodoxy without comprehending
it and, in so doing, live pretty much as they would if they didn't actually
believe in it. (Consider, for example, the prevalences of extramarital affairs
and divorce among proponents of traditional family values
– I doubt
they are materially less than, and they may well exceed, the corresponding
prevalences among folk who reject the old-fashioned straightjacket
of
monogamy.)
The youth of each generation typically grow up in a family context where the orthodoxy of the parents' generation (at least nominally) holds sway, whether it is overtly articulated or not. In so far as there are any flaws in that orthodoxy or hypocricies in the nominal adherence to it of grown-ups a child encounters, the bright new mind is apt to be very aware that the orthodoxy may be in error or that the adults' adherence to it lacks heartfelt conviction or sincerity. In discussing their elders' orthodox opinion with their peers, the new generation is thus apt to share perspectives that undermine that orthodoxy, which may well lead to them formulating contrary or complementary notions that the older generation are apt to regard as heretical.
The various aspects of primate social dynamics that leave teenagers wanting to take their own place in society, shaping an identity that goes beyond simply being their parents' childern, are apt to turn the beginings of a criticism of parental orthodoxy into an outright opposition, especially if the parental response to the criticism is to reject it on specious or poorly-articulated grounds, or if the young do not see clearly that their elders have sincerely listened to the case they're making and answered it in terms that respect the critic's concerns.
Written by Eddy.