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Free speech : a history from Socrates to social media / Jacob Mchangama.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: New York, NY : Basic Books, Hachette Book Group, 2022Copyright date: ©2022Edition: First editionDescription: 514 pages ; 25 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9781541600492
  • 1541600495
Subject(s):
Contents:
Ancient beginnings -- The not-so-Dark Ages: inquiry and inquisition in medieval Islam and Europe -- The great disruption: Luther, Gutenberg, and the viral Reformation -- The seeds of Enlightenment -- Enlightenment now -- Constructing the bulwark of liberty -- Revolution and reaction -- The quiet continent: The war on free speech in nineteenth-century Europe. -- Whit man's burden: slavery, colonialism, and racial (in)justice -- The totalitarian temptation -- The age of human rights: triumph and tragedy -- The free speech recession -- The Internet and the future of free speech.
Summary: "Often hailed as the "first freedom," free speech is the bedrock of democracy, the enemy of tyranny, and the gateway to enlightenment. Research reveals a strong correlation between freedom of speech and democracy, innovation, and advancements in human rights, as well as reductions in conflict, corruption, and discrimination. But for all its benefits, free speech remains a challenging, controversial, and often counterintuitive principle, easily subject to erosion in times of social and political upheaval. And today, in democracies and authoritarian states around the world, freedom of speech is now on the retreat. In Free Speech, Jacob Mchangama traces the long, contested history of a powerful idea, beginning with its origins in the intellectual ferment of classical Athens, where it enabled the development of the world's first democracy. Through captivating stories of defenders of free speech throughout history, from the eighth century 'Abbāsid caliph Abū Ja'far al-Manṣūr to the anti-lynching crusader Ida B. Wells, Mchangama reveals how the free exchange of knowledge and ideas underlies all scientific and literary achievement, and how it has enabled the advancement of civil rights across the globe. Indeed, he argues, freedom of speech has far more often served the cause of the oppressed than the cause of the oppressors. Yet the temptation to restrict speech, too, is a historical constant, and Mchangama explores how elite entrenchment and anxiety about new technologies can lead even the most dedicated defenders of liberty down this dangerous path. Meticulously researched and deeply humane, Free Speech demonstrates just how much humanity has gained from this essential principle - and just how much we stand to lose if we allow it to erode"-- Provided by publisher.
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Dr. James Carlson Library NonFiction 323.443 M149 Available 33111010637458
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library NonFiction 323.443 M149 Available 33111010790604
Adult Book Adult Book Northport Library NonFiction 323.443 M149 Available 33111009874278
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

"The best history of free speech ever written and the best defense of free speech ever made." -- P.J. O'Rourke

Hailed as the "first freedom," free speech is the bedrock of democracy. But it is a challenging principle, subject to erosion in times of upheaval. Today, in democracies and authoritarian states around the world, it is on the retreat.

In Free Speech , Jacob Mchangama traces the riveting legal, political, and cultural history of this idea. Through captivating stories of free speech's many defenders--from the ancient Athenian orator Demosthenes and the ninth-century freethinker al-Rāzī, to the anti-lynching crusader Ida B. Wells and modern-day digital activists--Mchangama reveals how the free exchange of ideas underlies all intellectual achievement and has enabled the advancement of both freedom and equality worldwide. Yet the desire to restrict speech, too, is a constant, and he explores how even its champions can be led down this path when the rise of new and contrarian voices challenge power and privilege of all stripes.

Meticulously researched and deeply humane, Free Speech demonstrates how much we have gained from this principle--and how much we stand to lose without it.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 397-492) and index.

Ancient beginnings -- The not-so-Dark Ages: inquiry and inquisition in medieval Islam and Europe -- The great disruption: Luther, Gutenberg, and the viral Reformation -- The seeds of Enlightenment -- Enlightenment now -- Constructing the bulwark of liberty -- Revolution and reaction -- The quiet continent: The war on free speech in nineteenth-century Europe. -- Whit man's burden: slavery, colonialism, and racial (in)justice -- The totalitarian temptation -- The age of human rights: triumph and tragedy -- The free speech recession -- The Internet and the future of free speech.

"Often hailed as the "first freedom," free speech is the bedrock of democracy, the enemy of tyranny, and the gateway to enlightenment. Research reveals a strong correlation between freedom of speech and democracy, innovation, and advancements in human rights, as well as reductions in conflict, corruption, and discrimination. But for all its benefits, free speech remains a challenging, controversial, and often counterintuitive principle, easily subject to erosion in times of social and political upheaval. And today, in democracies and authoritarian states around the world, freedom of speech is now on the retreat. In Free Speech, Jacob Mchangama traces the long, contested history of a powerful idea, beginning with its origins in the intellectual ferment of classical Athens, where it enabled the development of the world's first democracy. Through captivating stories of defenders of free speech throughout history, from the eighth century 'Abbāsid caliph Abū Ja'far al-Manṣūr to the anti-lynching crusader Ida B. Wells, Mchangama reveals how the free exchange of knowledge and ideas underlies all scientific and literary achievement, and how it has enabled the advancement of civil rights across the globe. Indeed, he argues, freedom of speech has far more often served the cause of the oppressed than the cause of the oppressors. Yet the temptation to restrict speech, too, is a historical constant, and Mchangama explores how elite entrenchment and anxiety about new technologies can lead even the most dedicated defenders of liberty down this dangerous path. Meticulously researched and deeply humane, Free Speech demonstrates just how much humanity has gained from this essential principle - and just how much we stand to lose if we allow it to erode"-- Provided by publisher.

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