CO 3410 - Freedom of Speech

Freedom of speech is a fundamental right guaranteed by the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution. As such, it operates as an ideal, principle, and guide. However, the actual practice of this ideal, while codified into laws, is influenced by power, social inequality, and circumstance. This course surveys the ideal and actual practice of free speech. Particular attention is also paid to seminal court cases and ethical dilemmas that have shaped our views of freedom of the press. Topics explored in this course include Enlightenment rationality and freedom, democracy and citizenship, civil rights and dissent, media monopoly, free speech during wartime, and freedom in non‐U.S. countries. Credits: 4