Free Speech: A Very Short Introduction, Nigel Warburton, Oxford University Press, 2009,

0199232350, 9780199232352, 115 pages. 'I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the
death your right to say it' This slogan, attributed to Voltaire, is frequently quoted by defenders of free
speech. Yet it is rare to find anyone prepared to defend all expression in every circumstance,
especially if the views expressed incite violence. So where do the limits lie? What is the real value of
free speech? Here, Nigel Warburton offers a concise guide to important questions facing modern
society about the value and limits of free speech: Where should a civilized society draw the line?
Should we be free to offend other people's religion? Are there good grounds for censoring
pornography? Has the Internet changed everything? This Very Short Introduction is a
thought-provoking, accessible, and up-to-date examination of the liberal assumption that free
speech is worth preserving at any cost. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series
from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These
pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors
combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and
challenging topics highly readable..

DOWNLOAD HERE

On Liberty , John Stuart Mill, 1859, Philosophy, 186 pages. Presents the British political
philosopher's classic work on the nature of personal freedom and the individual's relationship to
society..

Freedom of Speech and the Press , Ian C. Friedman, Jan 1, 2009, Freedom of speech, 128 pages. .

The language of oppression , Haig A. Bosmajian, 1974, Political Science, 156 pages. .

On Humanism , Richard Norman, 2004, Philosophy, 170 pages. humanism /'hju:meniz(e)m/ n. an

outlook or system of thought concerned with human rather than divine or supernatural matters.
Albert Einstein, Isaac Asimov, E.M. Forster ....

Existentialism , Mary Warnock, 1970, Philosophy, 145 pages. In this popular, highly readable
survey, Mary Warnock considers the contributions made to Existentialism by Kierkegaard,
Nietzsche, and Husserl, and discusses at length the ....

Speech forms and principles, Andrew Thomas Weaver, 1942, Language Arts & Disciplines, 437
pages. .

Free speech , John Boaz, 2006, Law, 221 pages. Presents a collection of articles offering varying
opinions on the topic of freedom of speech..

Freedom of expression purpose as limit, Francis Canavan, 1984, , 181 pages. .

Straw Dogs Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals, John Gray, Oct 16, 2007, Nature, 272 pages.
The British bestseller Straw Dogs is an exciting, radical work of philosophy, which sets out to
challenge our most cherished assumptions about what it means to be human. From ....

Free Speech , Laura K. Egendorf, Aug 15, 2007, Law, 103 pages. Presents an overview of issues
involving free speech, discussing whether limits should be placed on it, whether the media should be
censored, and the free speech limits of the ....

Free Speech and Its Relation to Self-government , Alexander Meiklejohn, 1948, Law, 107 pages.
Meiklejohn, Alexander. Free Speech and Its Relation to Self Government. New York: Harper
Brothers Publishers, [1948]. xiv, 107pp. Reprinted 2001 by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd ....

Freedom of speech , E. M. Barendt, Dec 12, 1985, Political Science, 314 pages. What types of
expressions and behavior should be treated as "speech" for constitutional purposes? Must freedom
of speech include the right of access to the media? And what is ....
'I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it' This slogan, attributed
to Voltaire, is frequently quoted by defenders of free speech. Yet it is rare to find anyone prepared to
defend all expression in every circumstance, especially if the views expressed incite violence. So
where do the limits lie? What is the real value of free speech? Here, Nigel Warburton offers a
concise guide to important questions facing modern society about the value and limits of free
speech: Where should a civilized society draw the line? Should we be free to offend other people's
religion? Are there good grounds for censoring pornography? Has the Internet changed everything?
This Very Short Introduction is a thought-provoking, accessible, and up-to-date examination of the
liberal assumption that free speech is worth preserving at any cost. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very
Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every
subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly.
Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make
interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

The genius of Nigel Warburton's Free Speech lies not only in its extraordinary clarity and
incisiveness. Just as important is the way Warburton addresses freedom of speech - and attempts
to stifle it - as an issue for the 21st century. More than ever, we need this book. Denis Dutton,
University of Canterbury, New Zealand

It's weird how I reviewed this book on free speech and it's disappeared! This is a great book and it
was written in a way that makes you think about things like porn as free speech, or even what the
BNP say. Should we censor things that might be dangerous, and who decides what's right or
wrong? I got this book from a friend who was at university. It's not a hard read, though, and I think
everyone should read this book.

Freedom of speech is considered one of the most fundamental human freedoms, especially in
modern liberal democracies. It has become de facto THE litmus test of overall freedom that citizens
of any society enjoy. And yet, the notion that we should have this freedom is relatively recent. The
modern understanding of this freedom can more or less be traced to John Stewart Mill's "On
Liberty," although there have been acknowledgements of the importance of freedom of speech that
precede that work.

This very short introduction covers some of those historical developments, but most of the book is
dedicated to the contemporary controversies that surround various interpretations and limitations of
the freedom of speech. In particular, the book deals with the famous quote of Oliver Wendell Holmes
that freedom of speech does not entail falsely shouting "fire" in a crowded theatre and similar
instances where speech can lead to physical or psychological harm. The book gives other examples
of where our abstract notions of freedom of speech may collide with reality. The author is very good
at appreciating the fact that the real world is very different from an academic discussion seminar,
and many practical considerations oftentimes need to be taken into the account when deciding what
should and should not be protected as free speech.

I find this book to be operating from a slight (perhaps unconscious) bias in its treatment of
blasphemy and pornography. It seems to imply that religious and anti-religious "speech" (however
one defines it) is really not categorically different from other forms of speech and ideas, while on the
other hand the author is willing to concede that there is something categorically different when it
comes to pornography. While I in fact more or less agree with the conclusions or the general attitude
of the author to how these two categories of speech should be handled, I think that religion is a
fundamentally separate category of speech and needs to be handled as such. For if this were not
the case, if religion were just yet another set of ideas amongst many, then all the laws that have
been enacted to ensure the "separation of church and state" would be very grievous violations of the
freedom of speech. And this, I am sure, neither the author nor most people this day would find a
desirable way to interpret freedom of speech.

The last chapter deals with the intrinsic conflict between freedom of speech and the modern notion
of copyright. Lime in most other discussions of the limitations of free speech that are presented in
this book, it is quite clear that there are significant differences of opinion of what constitutes fair use
of copyrighted material, across the world and within any given country. The arrival of the internet has
only complicated these matters further. This could be a subject of a book in its own right, but this
very short introduction does a fairly good job of at least bringing up all the main issues.

Based on all the controversies that have transpired over the years when the free speech is
concerned, it is virtually certain that this will continue to be a much discussed topic for the
foreseeable future. This little introduction, however, will continue to be relevant as an accessible
overview of this fascinating topic for years to come. It is probably one of the most informative such
introductions that are currently available. Read more ›

One might have expected from a book on the subject of Free Speech a vigorous defence of the
concept, but the book seems to be an apology for intolerance and the justification of persecution -
not that I am suggesting that Warburton ever intended to do that, but he is an academic, and
intolerance seems to be the air academia breathes of any who dare to doubt the veracity of the
currently favoured orthodoxies, and this book does not fail to toe the line. An Amazon review is not
the place to take to pieces every thing that is wrong with this book - life and band-width are too
short. Suffice to say I think he is wrong not merely morally but frequently in the historical basis of his
judgements and on almost every page.

There are in the West now, various designated Victims. One may not under any circumstance say
anything critical of such groups for that is Hate Speech. The very term posits its own judgement and
begs the question. There is a pecking order of these alleged victims. Criticising, all others, is not
merely acceptable but indeed encouraged.

Merely apply, by way of example, Mill's corn-grower argument to Tram-Girl (not of course that any
right thinking person could ever for a second even partially support her obnoxious tirade against her
fellow travellers) to see how in modern Britain the very reverse of Mill's example is the case; nor of
course in the case of the Muamba Tweeter could anyone suggest that anything less than two
months imprisonment for a momentary and drunken lapse of taste where the man deserved to be
expelled from University (only two months before his finals) was anything less than entirely justified,
even though Muamba himself never saw or could have seen the obnoxious tweet.

This is a really useful and clever book with organised chapters, plenty examples of recent events/
historical event relating to the topic of Free Speech. A strong focus into John Stuart Mill's 'On
Liberty' and has clearly devided into separate parts according to Mill's different arguments. Also
included critiques and own thoughts according to new incidents. Love it. great start on political
philosophy.

Warburton writes, "John Stuart Mill was explicit that incitement to violence was the point at which
intervention to curb free speech was appropriate. Mere offensiveness wasn't sufficient grounds for
intervention and should not be prevented by law, by threats, or by social pressure." "A spirit of
toleration should not include a prohibition on causing offence." Times columnist Oliver Kamm
agreed, "Free speech does indeed cause hurt - but there is nothing wrong in this."

As US Justice Brennan said in Texas v. Johnson, which upheld the right of dissenters to burn the
US flag as a protest, "If there is a bedrock principle underlying the First Amendment, it is that the
Government may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself
offensive or disagreeable."

But in Britain today, it seems that we have the right to have free speech, as long as we don't use it.
So members of the English Defence League are arrested and the group Muslims against Crusades
is disbanded for saying things that some find offensive. But it is legitimate, if unjust and idiotic, to call
for Sharia law here, and it is also legitimate, and just, to oppose Sharia law.

The meanings of symbols like the poppy are in the realm of opinion and argument, so the state must
not impose a politically correct interpretation on us. The state abused Remembrance Day, when
poppy-sellers demanded that we stand `shoulder to shoulder' with the armed forces serving in the
war against Afghanistan.

War demands consensus and recruitment of the media. We must resist the warmongering drive for
conformity. Some may find it offensive to be told that that their country's armed forces are used not
for national self-defence, not for any national interest, but for illegal aggression. But if the truth hurts
us, then we must ask why. Read more ›

Voltaire's comment - 'I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it' -
is frequently quoted by defenders of free speech. Yet it is rare to find someone prepared to defend
all freedom of speech, especially if the views expressed are obnoxious or obviously false. So where
do the limits lie? How important really is our right to freedom of speech? Here, Nigel Warburton
offers a concise guide to the important questions facing modern society about free speech: Should a
civilized society set limits on the freedom of speech? How can we square free speech with the
sensitivities of religious and minority groups? Does copyright law clash with our right to free speech?
And how have new technologies such as the Internet changed the debate? This Very Short
Introduction is a thought-provoking, accessible, and up-to-date examination of the liberal
assumption that free speech is worth preserving at any cost.

"A very careful and efficient inspection of this area by discussing the central arguments as they are
related to the idea of free speech while examining the need for limitations... The title will be great for
students who have been newly introduced to the idea of free speech and need a to the point look at
free speech without feeling overwhelmed by mounds of legal jargon... very well written and easy to
read beginning to the topic of free speech. The organization of the book provided a straightforward
discussion that readers could follow effortlessly... I found Free Speech: A Very Short Introduction to
provide exactly what the title series set out to accomplish by introducing the free speech in a brief
and easy to read format."--AALL Spectrum

Nigel Warburton is Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the Open University. He is the author of
numerous books, including the bestselling Philosophy: the Basics (4th ed.) which has sold
approximately 100,000 copies and has been translated into a dozen languages, Thinking from A to
Z (2nd ed), Freedom: an Introduction with Readings, Philosophy: the Classics (3rd ed.), The Art
Question, and many more. He teaches for the Tate Modern (including courses on the philosophy of
art, and on photography) and regularly writes and broadcasts in the media on a range of topics.

allow Amendment Andres Serrano argued artistic blasphemy laws cartoons Catherine MacKinnon
censored censorship challenge Chapter Christ Christians collage communication copyright law
counter-speech creators dangerous David Irving debate Deborah Lipstadt deeply offensive
defenders of free democracy democratic discussion example false film free expression free speech
free speech principle freedom of expression freedom of speech hardcore pornography Harm
Principle hate speech Holocaust denial ideas images important incitement to violence individual
Internet Irvings Islam issue John Stuart Mill kind liberal Liberty limits Lipstadt
Mapplethorpes merit Mills arguments moral Muslim newspaper offree speech ofthe opinion
paedophile particularly peoples words photograph Platos political position potential prevent
protestors psychological harms published question range religion religious believers restriction reuse
risk Rowan Atkinson Satanic Verses sexual silenced slippery slope society Socrates someone sort
Theo van Gogh toleration totalitarian truth United Kingdom views weblog websites women writers
http://eduln.org/195.pdf
http://eduln.org/51.pdf
http://eduln.org/87.pdf
http://eduln.org/145.pdf
http://eduln.org/3.pdf
http://eduln.org/89.pdf
http://eduln.org/44.pdf
http://eduln.org/203.pdf