Events

Event Description

The Levitt Center invites you to attend:How Much Freedom of Speech is Too Much? A Public Philosophy Discussion

RSVP for lunch hereWhat are the limits of free speech? How should those limits be enforced––when do social norms fail to curtail dangerous speech and legal limitations are required? In this essay, Professor Stefan Ritter explores the nuances of freedom of speech from the perspective of the philosophy of language and evaluates how implicit and explicit pejorative language have different implications for how society deals with harmful speech. Though framed in the context of America's supposed free speech maximalism, Ritter's argument also leads to questions for other democracies like Germany where explicit hateful language (Holocaust denial, Nazi imagery and slogans, etc.) is punishable by law––how should those laws apply to less-explicit dog whistles? Are we comfortable with Ritter's arguments? Should there be more limits on public expression in the US?

The Alan “Mac” McCullough Fund sponsors Levitt Public Philosophy Discussions.