Senegal's High Court: No Blanket Ban on Intimidating Discourse in Public Debate

• Senegal has seen a rise in intimidating discourse that masquerades as freedom.
• The power of labeling is being used to exert social control and suppress dissenting voices.
• Journalists and intellectuals are facing pressure to self-censor due to online mobs and the fear of displeasing them.
• Critical thinking and democratic dissent are under threat as citizens abandon the taste for doubt.

Le scepticisme que défend Ruyer n'a rien du cynisme. Il ne consiste pas à nier toute vérité. Il invite simplement à se méfier des vérités qui arrivent escortées d'injures, de menaces ou de certificats de moralité.

In recent years, Senegal has witnessed a concerning trend where citizens are increasingly being confronted with a form of 'police des consciences' that masquerades as freedom. This phenomenon, coined by philosopher Raymond Ruyer in his 1979 book 'Le sceptique résolu', refers to the use of intimidating discourse to suppress critical thinking and dissenting opinions. The censors of today are no longer clad in robes or uniforms but instead roam freely in television studios, online forums, social media, and even academic amphitheaters. They may not be burning books at the stake, but they are using digital tools to assign 'residence numérique' and unleash online mobs.

Ruyer's observation that true power often resides in cultural institutions, where intellectual prestige is manufactured and certain ideas are deemed worthy of applause while others are discredited, seems eerily relevant today. The ability to distribute labels such as 'réactionnaire', 'progressiste', 'complotiste', or 'fasciste' has become a potent tool for exerting social control. These labels serve as administrative stamps that instantly discredit dissenting voices and render their ideas unworthy of examination. This phenomenon is particularly concerning in the age of information, where opinions spread rapidly while nuances are slow to catch up.

The pressure on journalists and intellectuals to self-censor is mounting, as they face not only traditional forms of censorship but also the wrath of online mobs. The fear of displeasing these crowds can be a powerful silencer, leading to the abandonment of critical thinking and the exercise of democratic dissent. As Ruyer warned, 'la liberté commence souvent par un mot devenu presque subversif, pourquoi?' – a question that remains pertinent in today's Senegal, where the taste for doubt is being eroded. The discipline of skepticism, which Ruyer advocated for, is not about rejecting all truth but rather about questioning certainties that come with moralistic labels or threats.

Cette affaire soulève des préoccupations quant à la liberté d'expression en Sénégal, où les citoyens sont confrontés à une police des consciences qui se présente sous les habits de la liberté. Les journalistes et les intellectuels devraient être vigilants pour éviter l'autocensure et défendre le scepticisme critique.

Source: Original reporting via Le Monde