GOVT 86.60 Freedom of Speech

This seminar explores some constitutional and theoretical issues that arise from freedom of speech. Beginning with an introduction to John Stuart Mill’s marketplace of ideas and the harm principle, this seminar explores a set of central issues by reading eight books on freedom of speech, one for each week. The seminar explores the question of the scope of freedom of speech, followed by the substantive areas of hate speech, university speech and private speech. The seminar’s aim is for students to understand the nature of freedom of speech and the scholarly disagreement that accompanies it. Some prior background in law or political theory is recommended.

Degree Requirement Attributes

Dist:TMV

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Department-Specific Course Categories

Government