Free Speech, Jacob Mchangama
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Free Speech
A History from Socrates to Social Media

Author: Jacob Mchangama

Narrator: Fajer Al-Kaisi

Unabridged: 13 hr 24 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Basic Books

Published: 02/08/2022


Synopsis

A global history of free speech, from the ancient world to todayHailed as the “first freedom,” free speech is the bedrock of democracy. But it is a challenging principle, subject to erosion in times of upheaval. Today, in democracies and authoritarian states around the world, it is on the retreat.In Free Speech, Jacob Mchangama traces the riveting legal, political, and cultural history of this idea. Through captivating stories of free speech’s many defenders—from the ancient Athenian orator Demosthenes and the ninth-century freethinker al-Rāzī, to the anti-lynching crusader Ida B. Wells and modern-day digital activists—Mchangama reveals how the free exchange of ideas underlies all intellectual achievement and has enabled the advancement of both freedom and equality worldwide. Yet the desire to restrict speech, too, is a constant, and he explores how even its champions can be led down this path when the rise of new and contrarian voices challenge power and privilege of all stripes.Meticulously researched and deeply humane, Free Speech demonstrates how much we have gained from this principle—and how much we stand to lose without it.

Author Bio

Jacob Mchangama is a lawyer, human rights advocate and former external lecturer of Human Rights at the University of Copenhagen. He is the founder and director of Justitia, a Copenhagen-based think tank focusing on human rights, freedom of speech, and the rule of law. His writings have appeared in a wide range of international outlets including The Economist, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs, Politico, The Wall Street Journal Europe, El Pais, France24, Deutsche Welle, and Al Jazeera. This book builds on his podcast Clear and Present Danger: A History of Free Speech, which has reached an audience of over 220,000 unique listeners in more than 120 countries across the world.

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