Timothy
Ash presents a strong case for how to define and defend free speech – and gives
us a reason to understand why we must have free speech – in his new book Free Speech:
Ten Principles for a Connected World. (Yale University Press.).
I
was alerted to the book’s existence when I read a New York Times book review about it. He explores many facets of
free speech, including:
How
free should speech be?
Why
do we need free speech?
Should
anonymous speech be protected?
How
does the Internet change free speech?
What
role should the law or corporations play in free speech?
He
boils down the formula for free speech as being necessary for individual
self-development and collective self-determination. Ash writes:
“a central contention of this book is that we should limit free speech
as little as possible by law and the executive action of governments or
corporations, but the correspondingly more to develop shared norms and
practices that enable us to make best use of this central freedom.”
He
lays out 10 foundational principles for a coherent policy in regards to free
speech. This is what he wrote:
1.
We
- all human beings – must be free and able to express ourselves and to seek,
receive and impart information regardless of frontiers.
2.
We
neither make threats of violence nor accept violent intimidation.
3.
We
allow no taboos against _____and seize every chance for the spread of
knowledge.
4.
We
require uncensored, diverse, trustworthy media so we can make well-informed
decisions and participate fully in political life.
5.
We
express ourselves openly and with robust civility about all kinds of human
difference.
6.
We
respect the believer but not necessarily the content of the belief.
7.
We
must be able to protect our privacy and to counter slurs on our reputation but
not prevent scrutiny that is in the public interest.
8.
We
must be empowered to challenge all limits to freedom of information justified
on such grounds as national security.
9.
We
defend the internet and other systems of communication against illegitimate
encroachments by both public and private powers.
10.
We
decide for ourselves and face the consequences.
Ash,
a professed atheist and liberal secularist, is an award-winning political
author. He’s a senior fellow at the
Hoover Institution and a fellow at the University of Oxford. He also runs www.freespeechdebate.com.
He
concludes by saying “We will never all agree nor should we. But we must strive to create conditions in
which we agree on how we disagree.”
Can
we create a cultural and moral climate in which public argument and debate on
any topic is possible, where human dignity is affirmed, and where, as a result
of such discussion, all sides can accept the others right and ability to
express ideas they may wholeheartedly disagree with?
Free
speech faces new challenges as a result of social media, digital media, and the
companies that serve as information distributors and possibly censors. Free
speech faces more challenges from the corporate world rather than the
government. How we handle all of the
information made available will determine this nation’s future.
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Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog
are his alone and not that of his employer. You can follow him on Twitter
@theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more
important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by
BookMarketingBuzzBlog © 2016
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