Is Rage-baiting Free Speech?

When: Monday, October 19, 2026
Time: 6:00–8:00 pm
Where: Benson Center Suite (Kittredge Central, North Wing, 2nd Floor, N221)

About the Lecture

Free-speech rights extend even to speech we find distasteful, controversial, and objectionable. Yet sometimes free-speech zones like the internet become full of trolls, provocateurs, and others who aim at deliberate provocation.

We must tolerate disagreement, but should we tolerate trolls? This talk examines the limits of toleration, arguing that while we ought not to ban such behavior, those who engage in intentional and unnecessary provocative acts nonetheless behave poorly.

This event will feature a short presentation followed by an open forum and activity for students to investigate trolling, rage-baiting, and the limits of free speech.

About the Speaker

Matthew H. Young, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Political Theory in the Department of Political Science & Policy Studies at Elon University, where he is also an associated faculty member in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics and Classical Studies. His teaching and research interests include American political thought, the ethics of war, religion and politics, law, and civil discourse. Prior to Elon, he was a postdoctoral fellow in the Civil Discourse Project at Duke University, where he helped design courses and co-curricular programming to build students’ skills in civil disagreement. He holds a PhD in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a BA in political science, economics, and philosophy from Berea College.