Freedom of Expression
Viewpoint Diversity
Intellectual Humility
Critical Thinking
What is freedom of expression?
"No right was deemed by the fathers of the government more sacred than the right of speech. It was in their eyes, as in the eyes of all thoughtful men, the great moral renovator of society and government."
Frederick Douglass
Free expression is the ability to speak one’s thoughts and opinions freely, without penalty or censure by others.
Under the First Amendment in the United States, there are restrictions on free expression, such as prohibiting making threats against others or inciting violence. Under the same law, free speech can include offensive, rude, and hateful speech. Offensive and hateful speech is best combated by strong counter arguments made with solid evidence (or sometimes simply ignored and not given the dignity of a response), rather than by censoring offensive statements and outlawing bad arguments.
In a democracy, free speech is the foundation upon which many other freedoms rely!
RESOURCES
UVA Statement on Institutional Neutrality
This report explains the decision to remain neutral and "express no opinions about
social and political questions except as those questions directly affect its mission
or operations."
Report from Congressional Committee on Education & the Workforce
This report describes challenges to the First Amendment rights of students and faculty on college and university campuses in the United States. It also offers potential solutions to secure those rights.
FIRE First Amendment Library
Explore Supreme Court opinions, overview essays, academic discussions, and other resources to get the full picture of how the United States’ culture of free speech and First Amendment law has developed over the years.
UVA Free Speech Statement
Statement of the Committee on Free Expression and Free Inquiry
Freedom House resources on Freedom of Expression around the world
Free speech and expression is the lifeblood of democracy, facilitating open debate, the proper consideration of diverse interests and perspectives, and the negotiation and compromise necessary for consensual policy decisions.
Free Speech Lessons for Freshman Orientation & First-Year Experience Programming
FIRE, in partnership with New York University’s First Amendment Watch, has developed a series of free-to-use modules, videos, and other resources for universities to utilize when teaching incoming students about their free speech rights and the principles behind the First Amendment.