Free Speech from Spinoza to Trump
This five-week, online summer course is open to pre-college students attending the High School Summer Scholars Program.
Should hate speech be a criminal offense? Should it be illegal to burn the American flag? Shouldcollege students be allowed to write and say things that are offensive to their peers? Is itproblematic for universities to prohibit on-campus protests that disrupt academic activities?Should social media companies censor false or harmful content on their platforms? This coursewill introduce students to contemporary issues of free speech, including hate speech, the freedomto protest, and social media regulation, and provide a survey of the philosophical and legal historyof the principle of freedom of expression. We will study what Baruch Spinoza (1632 – 1677),John Locke (1632 – 1704), John Stuart Mill (1807 – 1873), and the United States Supreme Courthave said about free speech over the years, before turning to contemporary debates about thevalidity and scope of free speech.
Prerequisite: none
