Liberalism, Toleration, and Freedom of Speech
MIT OpenCourseWare offers this course on the philosophical and historical foundations of free speech in the United States. Students examine the arguments, from John Stuart Mill onward, for and against toleration and expression, tracing how liberal theory has grappled with censorship, obscenity, and dissent. The course applies these frameworks to concrete cases: hate speech regulation, campaign finance, new media platforms, and disputes over speech codes on college campuses. Readings and course materials cover legal doctrine alongside political philosophy, asking when and why a liberal society might limit what people can say. Assignments involve close analysis of court cases and philosophical texts, building toward a structured debate over where the line between protected expression and permissible regulation should fall. Materials include the syllabus, readings list, and assignments as published by MIT; no certificate is offered through OCW.