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'Radical Perspectives on Free Speech': philosophy and activism beyond the liberal paradigm.

Discussion event hosted by the philosophy department at Essex uni, 2nd March 2016, with Lorna Finlayson, Rosie Worsdale, Wail Qasim, & Koshka Duff.

Protesters, especially student protesters, often run up against accusations of being a threat to 'free speech'. In return, many have made forceful criticisms of the way in which this value has been understood. They have pointed out, for example, that a liberal understanding of freedom of speech often ignores the power of words, as well as the power relationships that structure the social world in which which speech happens.

In a familiar media presentation, this appears as a simple opposition between two camps:

i) liberals, who believe that free speech is sacrosanct, and on this basis oppose many of the demands and tactics associated with contemporary students politics (such as 'no platform' and 'safer spaces' policies);

ii) 'activists', or 'radicals', who think that some things - e.g. 'safety', 'de-colonization', countering oppression - are sometimes more important than free speech.

This simple opposition conceals a deep lack of clarity about the meaning of 'free speech' and its relationship to dissent. It also covers over the tensions that exist within activist and 'radical' circles over issues such as 'safer spaces', 'trigger warnings', 'no platform', and the role of authority in movements aimed at resisting systems of oppression. As part of Postgraduate Recruitment Fortnight at the University of Essex's School of Philosophy and Art History, the purpose of this event is to facilitate an informal discussion, drawing on participants' backgrounds in both philosophy and activism, which moves beyond a customary and stale 'debate' so as to shed some light on the relationship between free speech and protest, and on some of the issues that divide activists and critics of liberalism.