General Introduction: Free Speech, Democracy, and the Suppression of Extreme Speech Past and Present

James Weinstein, Ivan Hare

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingForeword/postscript

    12 Scopus citations

    Abstract

    In addition to introducing the general topics covered in the volume, this chapter sketches the ambivalent relationship between free speech and democracy that has existed since the birth of modern democracy. From the beginning it was recognized that the right of the people to criticize governments, laws, and social conditions is inherent in the very concept of rule by the people. But also from the outset democratic governments have claimed the power to limit criticism deemed so extreme as to endanger other basic societal values. For instance, in 1798 Congress passed the Sedition Act; during World War I the Allies imprisoned anti-war protestors; and in subsequent decades these democracies suppressed advocacy of anarchism, fascism, and communism. The verdict of history is that most of this speech suppression was contrary to the right of people to express dissenting views in a free and democratic society.

    Original languageEnglish (US)
    Title of host publicationExtreme Speech and Democracy
    PublisherOxford University Press
    ISBN (Electronic)9780191720673
    ISBN (Print)9780199548781
    DOIs
    StatePublished - May 1 2009

    Keywords

    • Anarchism
    • Communism
    • Democracy
    • Fascism
    • Sedition act
    • World war i

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • General Social Sciences

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'General Introduction: Free Speech, Democracy, and the Suppression of Extreme Speech Past and Present'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this