A socialist approach to Free Speech
JVL Introduction
Gavin Williamson is planning to legislate “to protect free speech and academic freedom in universities in England”.
So this crusader for the imposition of the IHRA definition of antisemitism on universities has the gall to say he is “deeply worried about the chilling effect on campuses of unacceptable silencing and censoring”!
Hillary Gyebi-Ababio, NUS vice-president for higher education, said: “There is no evidence of a freedom of expression crisis on campus…”. The Universities and Colleges Union general secretary, Jo Grady, was clear that “the biggest threats to academic freedom and free speech come not from staff and students, or from so-called ‘cancel culture’, but from ministers’ own attempts to police what can and cannot be said on campus.”
But what do socialists say about the general issue of free speech and how to protect it against its abusive misapplication by the likes of Gavin Williamson?
Sam Farber takes up the issue in this 2017 discussion which hinges mainly around a critical assessement of Timothy Garton Ash’s important book, Free Speech: Ten Principles for a Connected World.
In it Farber moves beyond the liberal position articulated by Garton Ash.
Drawing on Rosa Luxemburg he articulates a view of rights as embodiments of concrete social and economic relationships, rights that in liberal capitalist societies are constrained by unequal access to power that constrains these rights.
He looks at the implications of this approach in a number of concrete cases, showing how it can ground a reasoned, consistent, principled socialist approach to the question.
“While hate speech is unacceptable inside the classroom because it creates a hostile learning environment, this should not be confused with the introduction of ideas that some may find alien and even offensive, which is essential to higher education.”
This article was originally published by Jacobin on Mon 27 Feb 2017. Read the original here.
A socialist approach to Free Speech
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An excellent, eloquent piece. It needs to be distributed as widely as possible.
An interesting article on a very topical issue. Further articles on this subject would be beneficial.