A Philosophic Analysis of Free Speech and the First Amendment
Details
REQUIRED READING & VIEWING
- The Political Philosophy of John Locke and Its Influence on the Founding Fathers and the Political Documents They Created (paragraphs 2–5 and 2nd to last paragraph)
- The History Of The Censorship Industry (1 hour video)
INTRODUCTION
A major change in the culture is Americans' attitude to free speech. In this Meetup we'll explore the philosophic justifications for free speech and analyze the ideas and policies that threaten it.
POINTS OF DISCUSSION
- What is free speech?
- What is its philosophic justification?
- By what mechanism is free speech protected by the government?
- Are there exceptions to free speech not protected by the first amendment, such as shouting "fire!" in a crowded theater?
- Are "hate speech" and “mis-, dis- and malinformation," unique forms of speech that should be banned by private companies and/or the government?
- Does the right to free speech conflict with the rights of companies like Chase, Facebook, PayPal, Etsy, and Airbnb to "de-platform" their users?
- What are new threats to free speech that have arisen over the past two decades? (Required viewing: The History Of The Censorship Industry)
- What are the most concerning threats to free speech in 2026?
After the event, any interested guests will be invited to continue the conversation at a nearby restaurant.
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Our Meetup location, Le Pain Quotidien, is a private business; so that our group remains welcome, please don't arrive with beverages purchased from outside, and please be willing to purchase at least one beverage and/or menu item from our waitress (rather than on the way in).
AN IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING NO-SHOWS
Unfortunately, there is a longstanding problem in our group with large numbers of people who sign up frivolously and neither cancel nor show up, leading to large waiting lists of others who lose their opportunity to attend. Please note that going forward, those who sign up and neither cancel nor show up or habitually cancel at the last minute will be permanently removed from the group. If you need to cancel, please have the courtesy to give at least 24 hours' advance notice so those on the waiting list have an opportunity to attend.