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The Problem of Freedom of Speech in Liberal Concepts: Theory and Practice

Student: Melnikov Aleksandr

Supervisor: Alexei Gloukhov

Faculty: Faculty of Humanities

Educational Programme: Philosophy (Bachelor)

Final Grade: 10

Year of Graduation: 2020

The study is devoted to the problem of restrictions on freedom of speech and the measure of these restrictions in the ideals of liberal theory. Trying to comprehend not only the existing restrictions, but also how these restrictions are considered, the author stresses that, being one of the basic values of liberalism, freedom of speech at the same time enters into tensions with widespread ideas about tolerance. If the rejection of different statements can be justified by the liberal ideal of tolerance, there is a risk of a deep contradiction between two liberal ideals. The study casts doubt on such inconsistency of the liberal project and assesses the possibility of consistent protection of freedom of speech. The first part provides an overview of the relevant arguments of Kant, Jefferson, Mill, Berlin, Rawls, Nozick and Blok and separates two lines of argumentation. The idea is put forward that only positive freedom of speech (active participation in public space) presupposes the necessary framework, while negative freedom of speech (protection against punishment based on the content of the statement) justifiably claims universality. In the second part, the author describes the actual points of the gap between that liberal project and practice and indicates how the dubious idea of the paradox of negative freedom of speech and the hasty application of the paradox of tolerance can impede the development of the liberal idea.

Full text (added May 17, 2020)

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