Chapter 12 Essay Questions

  1. How is the idea of harm central to the debate over free speech on college campuses?
  1. What does Ben-Porath say colleges should focus on rather than regulating speech? Do you agree with her? Explain.
  1. In response to Stengel’s claim that we need hate speech laws, Friedersdorf says “laws against speech that insults people based on religion, race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation would have punished essayists like Christopher Hitchens, comedians like Eddie Murphy, hip-hop artists, feminist radicals like Andrea Dworkin, and radical gay activists who dislike ‘breeders.’” Do you think this is a fair response? Do you think Stengel would support punishing the people mentioned by Friedersdorf? Explain.
  1. According to Ben-Porath, how does harm figure into debates over free speech on campus? Is this a legitimate concern, in her view?
  1. What are the strongest reasons given by Chemerinsky and Gillman in their argument? Which are the least convincing?
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