The First Amendment: Free Speech On Campus

Bill Rose, J.D., Ph.D. (American Legal and Political Thought)
Professor of Political Science, Albion College.

In the United States, the idea of free speech is understood to be both an important political and moral ideal. The First Amendment makes freedom of speech central to our identities as citizens and to our national identity more generally. What it means to be an ‘American’ has seemed to be linked to our rights of free speech. But what, precisely, do we mean when we join the ideas of freedom and speech? What kinds of speech and what kinds of freedom are we talking about, and why have they come to mean what they do? And, what might it mean to silence or limit certain kinds of speech?

So, then, at least since the early days of the republic, we have agreed that free speech is essential for a healthy, vibrant, and democratic society. However, context (both time and place) matters when we talk about freedom of speech. And, in the present moment, the idea of freedom of speech on college and university campuses is challenged by the ever-evolving social and political realities of contemporary democracy in the United States. This short course will provide its participants with some resources to think critically about the role free speech plays on college and university campuses and how this discourse shapes the broader story about free speech protections across the United States more generally. Why have questions regarding free speech suddenly become an issue on college campuses? Has anything like this happened before? Is speech or student ‘safety’ really at the heart of the issue? Do the values of speech and expression trump other values and concerns (for example, ‘dignity’ or equality)? What is the principal mission of colleges and universities in the 21st century, and how does that mission impact our understanding of the place of speech on campus? How has the definition of free speech evolved between the 20th and 21st centuries, and how are colleges and universities addressing these changes?

Thursdays 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. October 4, 11, 18, 25.

Location: TBD