Celebrated as the bedrock of democracy, freedom of expression is often seen as an American or western value. Yet the concept has a rich and global history. In the spring of 2023 I offered a course on the global history of free expression. The course tracks the long and turbulent history of freedom of expression from ancient Athens and medieval Islamic societies to the Enlightenment and the drive for censorship in totalitarian and colonial societies.
For the final assignment I asked students to write a letter to a person of their choosing reflecting on how their learning in class made them rethink the parameters of speech and expression in their own contexts. For the next few episodes I’ll be featuring some of the student letters that deserve a wider audience.
This episode features my former student, Aishwarya Varma, reading her letter to her friend Grace. Aishwarya graduated from Carleton College in 2023 and is now a software engineer at Target.
What's at Stake at Columbia University (and beyond)?
Diversity Is Great, DEI, Inc. Isn't.
The Sunshine State Descends into Darkness (Again)
Will Florida's "Stop WOKE Act" Hold Up in Court?
Whose Tacos?
'Shakespeare, Thou Hast Been Cancelled'
"Oh Danny, Is This the End?"
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: St. Olaf College Punishes Professor for Inviting Peter Singer to Campus
In the Eye of the Storm
COVID-19: Lab Leak Or Natural Leap?
Napoleon in Exile
The Skeptic
The Cartoon is Mightier Than the Sword
Does Free Speech Discriminate?
Common Sense, Unmasked
The Subversiveness of Humor
Why the Seuss Estate Pulled Six of Its Own Books
The Bother With Baby
Should More Colleges Drop the ACT and SAT?
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