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Freedom of Speech by Jari I. Niemi ClassroomActivities Lesson Plan In the first activity, students will read a passage from J. S. Mill's On Liberty. In doing so, they will learn some important vocabulary and concepts, such as "fallibility" versus "infallibility." While discussing the text, they will review Mill's conclusion and study the four premises he proposes to support it. In Activity #2, students discuss whether or not hate speech promotes the truth about an issue. They will use Mill's arguments to support their conclusions. Then they are asked to write an essay regarding a specific example of hate speech from the media. Activity # 3 examines the relationship between individuality and freedom of speech. The students are ask to consider the issue further by writing an essay describing what they think should be censured in our society and why. Activity #1: Classroom Discussion: Is Freedom of Speech Necessary to Discover the Truth? Prepare for the classroom discussion by having students read the following passage from J.S. Mill's On Liberty: But the peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error. ... We have now recognized the necessity to the mental well-being of mankind (on which all their other well-being depends) of freedom of opinion, and freedom of the expression of opinion, on four distinct grounds; which we will now briefly recapitulate. First, if any opinion is compelled to silence, that opinion may, for aught we can certainly know, be true. To deny this is to assume our own infallibility. Secondly, though the silenced opinion be an error, it may, and very commonly does, contain a portion of truth; and since the general or prevailing opinion on any subject is rarely or never the whole truth, it is only by the collision of adverse opinions that the remainder of the truth has any chance of being supplied. Thirdly, even if the received opinion be not only true, but the whole truth; unless it is suffered to be, and actually is, vigorously and earnestly contested, it will, by most of those who receive it, be held in the manner of a prejudice, with little comprehension or feeling of its rational grounds. And not only this, but fourthly, the meaning of the doctrine itself will be in danger of being lost, or enfeebled, and deprived of its vital effect on the character and conduct: the dogma becoming a mere formal profession, inefficacious for good, but encumbering the ground, and preventing the growth of any real and heartfelt conviction, from reason or personal experience. Mill, J.S. On Liberty (Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1989) pp. 20; 53-4 Review some of the vocabulary in the text such as "fallibility" versus "infallibility," "dogma," and "prejudice," in particular. Have the students identify Mill's conclusion in the passage (Without freedom of speech, we may not discover truth about important issues.). Once Mill's conclusion has been correctly identified, it is important that it is written on the board. Next, it would be a good idea to discuss how Mill thinks he has reached this conclusion. In other words, students should, after identifying the conclusion, attempt to identify the four premises for the conclusion. Write the four premises on the board. Discuss whether the four premises depend upon one another or whether they are independent of one another. In other words, is Mill offering just one argument for why freedom of speech is important, or four? Ask the students to decide whether Mill thinks freedom of speech is good for society overall, or for the individual, or both. Finally, ask the students to discuss why it is that we may not discover the truth if free speech is limited? What does Mill say about this issue? Activity #2: Does all Speech Promote Truth? Teacher Prompt: Mill's argument seems to suggest that speech is primarily valued due to its promotion of knowledge in our societies. But is it the case that all kind of speech is valuable in this way. What about imagining a situation in which a march by a local KKK is to take place in your community. (If this example is too inflammatory, maybe another example should be used. The merit of this example is that things like this still take place in our society). This is clearly a form of speech. It is important here that the students learn to give reasoned answers to the questions posed. The point here is to get them to apply Mill's argument to examples prevalent in our society. Divide the students in groups which would discuss the issue, and then, after 10 minutes or so, each group would report their results to the class. It is important that the answers are based upon Mill's arguments. Their assignment would be to answer the following question: What would Mill say about allowing hate speech, like the KKK example? Does hate speech like this promote the truth about an issue? Would Mill allow hate speech like this to take place? If he would, which argument of his shows that he would? If he would not, why not? Summary discussion: The point of this summary discussion is to teach the students to evaluate Mill's argument based upon the truth principle. Is Mill right in concluding that free speech should always be allowed because it promotes truth? Does free speech always promote truth? Writing Assignment: This assignment is concentrated solely around the issue of hate speech, identified in the previous classroom activity. The assignment is to ask students to write a critical essay regarding hate speech. First, they should identify a specific example of hate speech from a magazine, newspaper, internet, television, or other media. The essay should acknowledge the source of the example and explain why the student considers the example as an example of hate speech. Then, ask the students to attempt to demonstrate what Mill might have said about the example based upon his argument for the value of freedom of speech. This application of Mill's principle should be the bulk of the essay. The last part of the paper should concentrate on the student's reasoned opinion on whether she or he thinks Mill is right about the example. Activity #3: Should Individuality be the Basis for Allowing Free Speech? Teacher Prompt: Mill doesn't defend the value of freedom of speech solely on the basis of the passage the students read regarding the value of truth; he also claims, in other passages, that freedom of speech is worth having, even if it produces some harm, since it would be more harmful if it were restricted. So, one kind of harm that we might see would be the potential loss of truth. Mill also claims, however, that our individuality would be harmed if speech were restricted. You might begin the classroom discussion by asking the students if they consider themselves individuals. 1. How can we define what makes us individuals? 2. How would you identify yourself? 3. What makes you who you are? [Note: You are likely to get some answers that invoke their origins, or where they come from; how they view the world; what sorts of things do they believe; what kinds of things they do (listening certain music, writing, sports, etc.)] 4. Now, discuss whether or not freedom of speech is connected to their individuality in any important ways. 5. Finally, ask them to imagine a situation in which they could think whatever they wanted, but couldn't express their thoughts in any way. Would they still be the same individuals as before? What would be lost, if anything? Writing Assignment: Students should write a critical essay that addresses the following question: What sorts of expressions would you censor and why? Ask the students to think about the earlier topics already discussed in class, such as pornography, hate speech, deliberate lying, slander, and cursing, among others. Have them give reasons why such things should be allowed in our society, or why they should not. Finally, ask them to discuss whether or not censorship inhibits individuality. Are restrictions on freedom of speech and/or censorship sometimes necessary in a society such as the United States? If so, why?

Freedom of Speech

by Jari I. Niemi

ClassroomActivities

In the first activity, students will read a passage from J. S. Mill's On Liberty. In doing so, they will learn some important vocabulary and concepts, such as "fallibility" versus "infallibility." While discussing the text, they will review Mill's conclusion and study the four premises he proposes to support it. In Activity #2, students discuss whether or not hate speech promotes the truth about an issue. They will use Mill's arguments to support their conclusions. Then they are asked to write an essay regarding a specific example of hate speech from the media. Activity # 3 examines the relationship between individuality and freedom of speech. The students are ask to consider the issue further by writing an essay describing what they think should be censured in our society and why.

Activity #1: Classroom Discussion: Is Freedom of Speech Necessary to Discover the Truth?

Prepare for the classroom discussion by having students read the following passage from J.S. Mill's On Liberty:

But the peculiar evil of silencing the expression of an opinion is, that it is robbing the human race; posterity as well as the existing generation; those who dissent from the opinion, still more than those who hold it. If the opinion is right, they are deprived of the opportunity of exchanging error for truth: if wrong, they lose, what is almost as great a benefit, the clearer perception and livelier impression of truth, produced by its collision with error. ...

We have now recognized the necessity to the mental well-being of mankind (on which all their other well-being depends) of freedom of opinion, and freedom of the expression of opinion, on four distinct grounds; which we will now briefly recapitulate.

First, if any opinion is compelled to silence, that opinion may, for aught we can certainly know, be true. To deny this is to assume our own infallibility.

Secondly, though the silenced opinion be an error, it may, and very commonly does, contain a portion of truth; and since the general or prevailing opinion on any subject is rarely or never the whole truth, it is only by the collision of adverse opinions that the remainder of the truth has any chance of being supplied.

Thirdly, even if the received opinion be not only true, but the whole truth; unless it is suffered to be, and actually is, vigorously and earnestly contested, it will, by most of those who receive it, be held in the manner of a prejudice, with little comprehension or feeling of its rational grounds.

And not only this, but fourthly, the meaning of the doctrine itself will be in danger of being lost, or enfeebled, and deprived of its vital effect on the character and conduct: the dogma becoming a mere formal profession, inefficacious for good, but encumbering the ground, and preventing the growth of any real and heartfelt conviction, from reason or personal experience.

Mill, J.S. On Liberty (Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1989) pp. 20; 53-4

Review some of the vocabulary in the text such as "fallibility" versus "infallibility," "dogma," and "prejudice," in particular.

Have the students identify Mill's conclusion in the passage (Without freedom of speech, we may not discover truth about important issues.). Once Mill's conclusion has been correctly identified, it is important that it is written on the board.

Next, it would be a good idea to discuss how Mill thinks he has reached this conclusion. In other words, students should, after identifying the conclusion, attempt to identify the four premises for the conclusion. Write the four premises on the board. Discuss whether the four premises depend upon one another or whether they are independent of one another. In other words, is Mill offering just one argument for why freedom of speech is important, or four?

Ask the students to decide whether Mill thinks freedom of speech is good for society overall, or for the individual, or both.

Finally, ask the students to discuss why it is that we may not discover the truth if free speech is limited? What does Mill say about this issue?

Activity #2: Does all Speech Promote Truth?

Teacher Prompt: Mill's argument seems to suggest that speech is primarily valued due to its promotion of knowledge in our societies. But is it the case that all kind of speech is valuable in this way. What about imagining a situation in which a march by a local KKK is to take place in your community. (If this example is too inflammatory, maybe another example should be used. The merit of this example is that things like this still take place in our society). This is clearly a form of speech. It is important here that the students learn to give reasoned answers to the questions posed. The point here is to get them to apply Mill's argument to examples prevalent in our society.

Divide the students in groups which would discuss the issue, and then, after 10 minutes or so, each group would report their results to the class. It is important that the answers are based upon Mill's arguments. Their assignment would be to answer the following question: What would Mill say about allowing hate speech, like the KKK example?
Does hate speech like this promote the truth about an issue? Would Mill allow hate speech like this to take place? If he would, which argument of his shows that he would? If he would not, why not?

Summary discussion: The point of this summary discussion is to teach the students to evaluate Mill's argument based upon the truth principle. Is Mill right in concluding that free speech should always be allowed because it promotes truth? Does free speech always promote truth?

Writing Assignment:

This assignment is concentrated solely around the issue of hate speech, identified in the previous classroom activity. The assignment is to ask students to write a critical essay regarding hate speech.

First, they should identify a specific example of hate speech from a magazine, newspaper, internet, television, or other media. The essay should acknowledge the source of the example and explain why the student considers the example as an example of hate speech.

Then, ask the students to attempt to demonstrate what Mill might have said about the example based upon his argument for the value of freedom of speech. This application of Mill's principle should be the bulk of the essay.

The last part of the paper should concentrate on the student's reasoned opinion on whether she or he thinks Mill is right about the example.

Activity #3: Should Individuality be the Basis for Allowing Free Speech?

Teacher Prompt: Mill doesn't defend the value of freedom of speech solely on the basis of the passage the students read regarding the value of truth; he also claims, in other passages, that freedom of speech is worth having, even if it produces some harm, since it would be more harmful if it were restricted. So, one kind of harm that we might see would be the potential loss of truth. Mill also claims, however, that our individuality would be harmed if speech were restricted.

You might begin the classroom discussion by asking the students if they consider themselves individuals.

1. How can we define what makes us individuals?
2. How would you identify yourself?
3. What makes you who you are? [Note: You are likely to get some answers that invoke their origins, or where they come from; how they view the world; what sorts of things do they believe; what kinds of things they do (listening certain music, writing, sports, etc.)]
4. Now, discuss whether or not freedom of speech is connected to their individuality in any important ways.
5. Finally, ask them to imagine a situation in which they could think whatever they wanted, but couldn't express their thoughts in any way. Would they still be the same individuals as before? What would be lost, if anything?

Writing Assignment:

Students should write a critical essay that addresses the following question: What sorts of expressions would you censor and why? Ask the students to think about the earlier topics already discussed in class, such as pornography, hate speech, deliberate lying, slander, and cursing, among others. Have them give reasons why such things should be allowed in our society, or why they should not. Finally, ask them to discuss whether or not censorship inhibits individuality. Are restrictions on freedom of speech and/or censorship sometimes necessary in a society such as the United States? If so, why?