A Republican Theory of Free Speech / Progress in Mathematics (PDF)

"By developing the idea of 'critical civility', Whitten moves beyond the liberal paradigm that has dominated free speech debates in recent years, and provides a novel framework for analysing and responding to the harm caused by forms of expression like hate speech, online abuse, and religious offence." -Matteo Bonotti, Senior Lecturer, Monash University, Australia

"Whitten's book offers a much needed, fresh account of the proper limits of free speech." - Fabian Schuppert, Professor for Political Theory, University of Potsdam, Germany

'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.

Suzanne Whitten is Lecturer in Political Theory and Philosophy in the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics at Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland.