Freedom of Expression: Pro
Session 1: Overview of the class: content; principles of civil discourse
- No readings assigned
Session 2: The case against prior restraint
- Milton, John. Excerpts from Areopagitica. Arc Manor, 2008, pp. 10 (“If ye be…”) – 11 (“…of our presbyters”), 24 (“Since therefore the knowledge…”) – 27 (“…can overtake her”), and 55 (“And now the time…”) – 56 (“…wars of Truth”). ISBN: 9781604501513.
- Rosenberg, Ian. “Stormy Daniels, Prior Restraints, and the Pentagon Papers.” Chapter 5 in The Fight for Free Speech: Ten Cases That Define Our First Amendment Freedoms. NYU Press, 2021. ISBN: 9781479801565.
- Abrams, Floyd. Chapter 5 in The Soul of the First Amendment. Yale University Press, 2018. ISBN: 9780300234206.
Session 3: The First Amendment
- Abrams et al. v. United States (1919), Holmes dissent.
- Whitney v. People of State of California (1927), Brandeis concurring.
- United States v. Schwimmer (1929), Holmes dissent.
- Gitlow v. People of the State of New York (1925), Holmes dissent.
- Paul Robert Cohen, Appellant, v. State of California (1971), Harlan ruling.
Session 4: More on the First Amendment
Excerpts from decisions and dissents:
- Citizens United, Appellant, v. Federal Election Commission (2010) (PDF), Stevens opinion, pp. 75–77.
- 303 Creative LLC et al. v. Elenis et al. (2022) (PDF)
Session 5: J. S. Mill’s defense of free speech
- Mill, John Stuart. “Of the Liberty of Thought and Discussion.” (PDF) Chapter 2 in On Liberty and Other Essays. Edited by David Bromwich and George Kateb. Yale University Press, 2003. ISBN: 9780300096101.
Session 6: The duty to speak your mind
- Joshi, Hrishikesh. Excerpts from “The Epistemic Commons.” Chapter 1 in Why It’s OK to Speak Your Mind. Routledge, 2021. ISBN: 9780367141721. [Preview with Google Books]
- ———. Excerpts from “A Duty to Speak Your Mind.” Chapter 2 in Why It’s OK to Speak Your Mind. Routledge, 2021. ISBN: 9780367141721. [Preview with Google Books]
- ———. Excerpts from “Challenges and Temptations.” Chapter 3 in Why It’s OK to Speak Your Mind. Routledge, 2021. ISBN: 9780367141721.
Session 7: Non-government censorship and “cancel culture”
- Douthat, Ross. “10 Theses About Cancel Culture,” New York Times, July 14, 2020.
- Applebaum, Anne. “The New Puritans.” The Atlantic, October 2021.
- “Chappelle Slams Cancel Culture amid Netflix Transgender Furor.” BBC News. October 26, 2021.
- Strauss, Valerie. “San Francisco School Board Votes to Rename Dozens of Schools—including Washington and Lincoln,” Washington Post, January 29, 2021.
Session 8: Wrap-up discussion of non-government censorship and “cancel culture”
- No readings assigned
Freedom of Expression: Limits and Opposition
Session 9: Against free expression
- Alexander, Larry. “General Justifying Theories of Freedom of Expression.” Chapter 7 in Is There a Right of Freedom of Expression? Cambridge University Press, 2005. ISBN: 9780521529846.
Session 10: Defending hate speech restrictions
- Waldron, Jeremy. “The Appearance of Hate.” Chapter 4 in The Harm in Hate Speech. Harvard University Press, 2014. ISBN: 9780674416864.
Session 11: Hate speech restrictions and political legitimacy
- Waldron, Jeremy. “Ronald Dworkin and the Legitimacy Argument.” Chapter 7 in The Harm in Hate Speech. Harvard University Press, 2014. ISBN: 9780674416864.
Session 12: Hate speech and silencing
- West, Caroline. “Words That Silence? Freedom of Expression and Racist Hate Speech.” In Speech & Harm: Controversies Over Free Speech. Edited by Ishani Maitra and Mary Kate McGowan. Oxford University Press, 2012. ISBN: 9780199236275.
Session 13: Hate speech and silencing, cont’d; offensive expression
- Feinberg, Joel. “Offensive Nuisances.” Chapter 7 in Offense to Others: The Moral Limits of the Criminal Law. Oxford University Press, 1988. ISBN: 9780195052152. [Preview with Google Books]
- ———. “Profound Offense.” Chapter 9 in Offense to Others: The Moral Limits of the Criminal Law. Oxford University Press, 1988. ISBN: 9780195052152.
Session 14: Offensive expression, cont’d; pornography and harm
- Cohen, Joshua. “Freedom, Equality, Pornography.” (PDF) Chapter 11 in Prostitution and Pornography: Philosophical Debate about the Sex Industry. Edited by Jessica Spector. Stanford University Press, 2006. ISBN: 9780804749381.
Session 15: Pornography and harm, cont’d
- Cohen, Joshua. “Freedom, Equality, Pornography.” (PDF) Chapter 11 in Prostitution and Pornography: Philosophical Debate about the Sex Industry in the U.S. Edited by Jessica Spector. Stanford University Press, 2006. ISBN: 9780804749381.
Session 16: Pornography and silencing
- Langton, Rae. “Speech Acts and Unspeakable Acts.” Chapter 1 in Sexual Solipsism: Philosophical Essays on Pornography and Objectification. Oxford University Press, 2009. ISBN: 9780199551453. [Preview with Google Books]
Session 17: In-class debate
- No readings assigned
Liberalism, Paternalism, Conservatism
Session 18: New dangers of free speech in the information age
- Whitehouse, Sheldon. “Section 230 Reforms.” Chapter 7 in Social Media, Freedom of Speech, and the Future of our Democracy. Edited by Lee C. Bollinger and Geoffrey R. Stone. Oxford University Press, 2022. ISBN: 9780197621097.
Session 19: Liberalism in 5 minutes; paternalism tentatively defended
- Glod, William. “What the *Bleep* Do We Know?” Chapter 1 in Why it’s OK to Make Bad Choices. Routledge, 2020. ISBN: 9780367195175. [Preview with Google Books]
Session 20: Anti-paternalism: the knowledge problem
- Glod, William. “How Do We Know What Other People Are Up To?” Chapter 2 in Why it’s OK to Make Bad Choices. Routledge, 2020. ISBN: 9780367195175.
Session 21: Anti-paternalism: autonomy; unintended consequences
- Glod, William. “What If I Really Am Making Bad Choices?” Chapter 3 in Why it’s OK to Make Bad Choices. Routledge, 2020. ISBN: 9780367195175.
- ———. “Why We Should Be Careful.” Chapter 7 in Why it’s OK to Make Bad Choices. Routledge, 2020. ISBN: 9780367195175.
Session 22: Conservatism: against autonomy
- Kekes, John. “The Prevalence of Evil.” Chapter 2 in Against Liberalism. Cornell University Press, 1997. ISBN: 9780801433610.
Session 23: Liberalism and immigration
- Joshi, Hrishikesh. “For (Some) Immigration Restrictions.” (PDF) In Ethics, Left and Right: The Moral Issues That Divide Us. Edited by Bob Fischer. Oxford University Press, 2019. ISBN: 9780190882785.
Session 24: Conservatism: against gay marriage
- Wax, Amy L. Excerpts from “The Conservative’s Dilemma: Traditional Institutions, Social Change, and Same-Sex Marriage.” (PDF) San Diego Law Review 42 (2005): 1059–1104.
Session 25: Religious freedom I. The separation of church and state, pro and con
- Excerpts from St. Augustine, “Letter to Vincentius.” (PDF)
- Excerpts from Thomas Jefferson, The Virginia Statue for Religious Freedom. (PDF)
- Excerpts from Locke, Essay on Toleration. (PDF)
Session 26: Religious freedom II. Are religious exemptions to general laws justified?
- Leiter, Brian. Excerpts from Why Tolerate Religion? Princeton University Press, 2014. ISBN: 9780691163543. [Preview with Google Books]
Session 27: Closing discussion
- No readings assigned
