This course will explore the theoretical underpinnings of the First Amendment guarantee of freedom of speech. We will ask questions such as: Why is this freedom valuable? Does it serve just one value, or many? Does it have limits? To answer these questions, we will read and critique both classical works on these freedoms and more contemporary scholarship. Because the focus is on theory, we will hear from a range of not just constitutional law scholars and Supreme Court justices but also philosophers who engage with the law.
