3 credits

Students must also sign up for a discussion section.

Contrary to what many people believe, the First Amendment protection
of free speech (whether oral or written) is not absolute. This
TOPICS course starts by studying philosophers who first discussed the
benefits of free speech, and analyzes some of the contemporary
criticisms of the concept.
Next, the course takes up major limitations on free speech,
including threats and fighting words, obscenity, advertising, slander
and libel, and copyright and plagiarism. Students will utilize their
analytical abilities and critical thinking by applying basic
principles to new situations, e.g., the internet, and by debating
controversial issues, such as government and university attempts to
ban hate speech or proposals to prohibit the burning of the U.S. flag.