'This book persuasively brings to bear republican political theory in an original argument that hate speech is itself a threat to freedom, which requires citizens to respond in a way that is both critical and civil.' - Iseult Honohan, Emeritus Associate Professor, University College Dublin, Republic of Ireland. This book offers the first comprehensive philosophical examination of the free speech ‘battles’ of the last decade, arguing for a critical republican conception of civility as an explanatory and prescriptive solution. Issues such as no-platforming and safe spaces, the increasing influence of Far-Right rhetoric on internet forums, the role of Twitter as a site of activist struggles, and the moral panics that surround ill-judged comments made by public figures, all provide a new set of challenges for society which demand a careful critical analysis. The author proposes a 'republican theory' of free speech, demonstrating how a conception of ‘critical’ civility, one which combines the importance of expressive respect with the responsibilities of contestation and vigilance, is required if we are to combat some of the most contentious speech-related conflicts facing contemporary society today.
Author(s): Suzanne Whitten
Edition: 1
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
Year: 2022
Language: English
Commentary: TruePDF
Pages: 249
Tags: Political Theory; Political Philosophy; Social Philosophy; Politics And Gender
Contents
About the Author
1 Introduction
1.1 The Question
1.2 The Problem
1.3 Book Outline and Structure
References
2 Questioning the Non-Interference Paradigm
2.1 Introduction
2.2 The Non-Interference Paradigm
2.3 The First Amendment and the Battle for the Supreme Court
2.4 Philosophical Defences of the Non-Interference Ideal
2.4.1 Two Defences: Democracy and Autonomy
2.5 Exposing the Non-Interference Paradigm
2.5.1 Speech and Structural Injustice
2.6 Conclusion
References
3 Liberal Toleration and Harmful Speech
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Waldron and The Harm in Hate Speech
3.2.1 Criticisms of Waldron: Assurance Is All Around Us
3.3 Liberal Toleration
3.3.1 Toleration as Recognition?
3.3.2 Forst and Toleration as Reciprocal Respect
3.3.3 Respect and the Limits of Toleration
3.4 Conclusion
References
4 Critical Republicanism and Harmful Speech
4.1 Introduction
4.2 The Historical Revival
4.3 Neo-republicanism: Core Principles
4.3.1 Freedom as Non-domination
4.3.2 Intersubjective Awareness of Status
4.3.3 Civic Virtue and Vigilance
4.4 Pettit: Two Criticisms
4.4.1 Norms and Status
4.4.2 Norms, Social Equality, and Agency
4.5 Critical Republicanism
4.6 A Critical Civility?
4.7 Conclusion
References
5 Recognition, Norms, and the Struggle for Normative Authority
5.1 Introduction
5.2 The ‘Free Speech Wars’ and the Serena Williams Cartoon
5.3 Recognition Theory: A Brief Overview
5.3.1 Charles Taylor and the Politics of Difference
5.3.2 Honneth and the ‘Three Spheres’ of Respect
5.3.3 Darwall and ‘Two Kinds’ of Respect
5.4 What Are Norms?
5.4.1 Social Norms and Moral Norms
5.5 Recognition Struggles, Norms, and the Grammar of Moral Conflict
5.5.1 Social Justice and the Denial of Normative Authority
5.5.2 Dealing with the Difficult Cases
5.6 Conclusion
References
6 Critical Civility: A Republican Theory of Free Speech
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Critical Civility: An Overview of Main Principles
6.3 The Normative Demands of Citizen Relations
6.4 Non-domination, Vigilance, and Social Freedom
6.5 Responsibility and Structural Injustice
6.5.1 Accountability and Blame
6.5.2 Moral Grandstanding and the Problem of Shaming
6.6 Critical Civility and the Role of Institutions
6.7 Conclusion
References
Concluding Remarks
No Such Thing: The Inescapability of Civility and the Demands of Citizenship
References
Index
