Speak Freely: Why Universities Must Defend Free Speech

In the world of higher education, perhaps no issue has received more attention in recent years than that of free speech. In a new book, Speak Freely: Why Universities Must Defend Free Speech, Princeton politics professor Keith E. Whittington presents a cogent and fiercely argued defense of free speech on university campuses.

While the topic of free speech in the United States is often associated with First Amendment law, Whittington makes clear from the beginning that he is not making a primarily legal argument. Instead, he argues that freedom of speech is fundamental to the mission of a modern university, which is to “produce and disseminate knowledge.” Toward the end of the second chapter (which contains an excellent capsule history of the tradition of free speech) he writes, “If universities seek to produce and disseminate knowledge, rather than dogma, then they must foster an environment in which no beliefs are sacred, no ideas are safe from scrutiny, no opinions are immune from criticism. A primary commitment to the pursuit of truth requires that all other commitments always be subject to question.” 

Having provided a historical context for both freedom of speech and the mission of the modern university, Whittington goes on to address such controversial issues as trigger warnings, safe spaces, disruption of classes, and the shouting down of public speakers. In every case, his arguments are carefully nuanced and sensitive to the legitimate concerns of those on the other side. In discussing safe spaces, for example, he concedes that there is a need for spaces on campus where students and faculty have “the ability to disengage from intellectual battles and seek refuge among like-minded friends and colleagues.” Political clubs, religious organizations, and other affinity groups on campus have long provided these sorts of spaces, as Whittington observes. But he argues that “such spaces for nurturing thick bonds of solidarity with like-minded fellows cannot become the orientation of the university as a whole…. The university as a whole is inclusive precisely in order to be open to the exploration of unsettling ideas.” 

Speak Freely provides an excellent introduction to the current debate surrounding free speech on campus. Even those who follow the subject closely will find considerable value in Whittington’s clear presentation of the issues and the subtlety of his argument. The book is now available on the New Books shelf at the O’Quinn Law Library.