Classical Liberal Ideals and Social Justice

Classical liberalism is the philosophy in which the role of the government is to safeguard civil liberties and individuals should be given maximum freedom. This includes almost unrestricted freedom of speech, of assembly, of the press, and of religion.

What was the justification for freedom of speech? In an open society, having freedom of speech means that there was a "marketplace of ideas" in which it was up to those with the ideas to persuade others that their idea was the right one. Keeping that marketplace free of restrictions would allow controversial, radical ideas to be present as well, and as proved many times throughout history, sometimes the radicals had a point, or were right completely.

While it was originally meant to be a philosophy of government, it also became a principle used in non-governmental institutions as well. The principle of academic freedom, for example, derives from the concept of freedom of speech, especially the freedom to be controversial and offensive.

However, not all people agree with the notion that offensive viewpoints should be heard in a "marketplace of ideas". For example, in 2014, a debate on abortion was cancelled, because expressing views in opposition to abortion was considered to be a direct threat on the safety and lives of female students. 40% of millennials want the government to ban offensive speech.

This dynamic is present when it comes to online spaces as well - there is considerable opposition to websites such as Reddit and Youtube because of light moderation. This light moderation comes from the idea that not restricting speech allows everyone to have the opportunity to speak up, without fear of being censored. Critics say that all that it has done is led to non-institutional silencing, in which marginalized groups are "silenced" not by the government or by the institution, but rather by being drowned out and made to feel unsafe.

Is it fair to say that classical liberalism, especially freedom of speech as a principle, is outdated in today's society given what we know now about the nature of speech and public discourse? Is it fair to say that those who came up with the idea of freedom of speech are wrong? Given that free speech restrictions are a major issue in social justice circles, what is your view on this topic?