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Hate Speech and Freedom of Expression
- What does it mean to claim that individuals should enjoy ‘freedom of expression’? How does hate speech legislation restrict this freedom?
- What are the main arguments in defence of freedom of expression? Which of these arguments are the most persuasive? Can we deploy these arguments to oppose regulations on hate speech?
- What justifies restricting acts of expression that threaten harm to others? Can the justification for restricting harm to others extend to justifying restrictions on hate speech?
- Should we restrict acts of expression that offend against people’s ethical and moral sensibilities? What are the main objections to restricting offensive expression? And, how forceful are these objections?
- What is the main argument in defence of the claim that we should restrict expression when and because it threatens others’ dignity? Does this argument evade the objections levelled at other arguments for restricting hate speech? Are there any compelling objections to this argument?