Free Speech & Hate Speech

In 2021, Scotland introduced the new crime of 'stirring up hatred', and the state government of Victoria, Australia was poised to expand its law against vilification (which covered only race & religion) to additional protected categories of persons. Supporters see these measures as vital in tackling social inequality; opponents see them as infringing unacceptably on freedom of speech. In this course, we'll explore a range of issues in ethics and political philosophy concerning speech, connecting up with related issues in epistemology and the philosophy of language.