Freedom of Expression: Pro
Session 1: Overview of the class: content; principles of civil discourse
- Examples of controversial expression, tolerance, and intolerance
Session 2: The case against prior restraint
- End of class: background on First Amendment cases
Session 3: The First Amendment
Session 4: More on the First Amendment
Session 5: J. S. Mill’s defense of free speech
Session 6: The duty to speak your mind
- How to write a philosophy paper and a primer on logic
Session 7: Non-government censorship and “cancel culture”
Session 8: Wrap-up discussion of non-government censorship and “cancel culture”
- Assignment due: First essay
Freedom of Expression: Limits and Opposition
Session 9: Against free expression
- Comments returned on first essay
Session 10: Defending hate speech restrictions
Session 11: Hate speech restrictions and political legitimacy
- Assignment due: Revised first essay
Session 12: Hate speech and silencing
Session 13: Hate speech and silencing, cont’d; offensive expression
- In-class debate prep
Session 14: Offensive expression, cont’d; pornography and harm
Session 15: Pornography and harm, cont’d
Session 16: Pornography and silencing
Session 17: In-class debate
Liberalism, Paternalism, Conservatism
Session 18: New dangers of free speech in the information age
Session 19: Liberalism in 5 minutes; paternalism tentatively defended
Session 20: Anti-paternalism: the knowledge problem
Session 21: Anti-paternalism: autonomy; unintended consequences
- Assignment due: Second essay
Session 22: Conservatism: against autonomy
Session 23: Liberalism and immigration
Session 24: Conservatism: against gay marriage
Session 25: Religious freedom I. The separation of church and state, pro and con
Session 26: Religious freedom II. Are religious exemptions to general laws justified?
Session 27: Closing discussion
- Assignment due: Final essay
