Free Speech on Campus by Sigal R. Ben-Porath (review)

Sigal R. Ben-Porath, a professor of philosophy and education and a former chair of the university's Committee on Open Expression at the University of Pennsylvania, wrote Free Speech on Campus, a detailed documentation of controversial issues surrounding academic freedom. The book is organized into a preface, four chapters, and a conclusion and practical guideline section that spans over 128 pages including the notes and acknowledgments. In the preface, Ben-Porath offers readers the context in which she experienced the issue of free speech on campus, the sit-in incident staged by students at the University of Pennsylvania that was later resolved through negotiation after the students' staged the protest for about two days. From there, Ben-Porath proceeds further to a brief introduction of the forthcoming chapters to her readers.

In Chapter 1, entitled "The State of the Debate," the writer presents the different perspectives of the argument along with concrete examples from real-life incidents across the universities in the United States. In this section, Ben-Porath mentions a number of crucial incidents on campus including controversial issues such as the Halloween Costumes and Safe space at Yale, Struggling for Racial Equality in Missouri, Rejecting Trigger Warning in Chicago, and Chasing Away Controversial Speakers at Berkley and Middleburg, among others. What is most important about this chapter is the fact that the writer traced the different views that are challenging, controversial, as well as limiting and surrounding free expression on campus.

After critically reflecting on the misconceptions and barriers to free speech on campus, Ben-Porath proceeds to Chapter 2, entitled "Inclusive freedom", where she develops this notion of inclusive freedom as a framework that can operate in all contexts. In advancing the argument for freedom of expression on campus, Ben-Porath develops the notion of inclusive freedom and makes recommendations in response to the polarizing views of the intellectual left and right wing advocates. In the chapter, BenPorath presents why it is essential to allow free speech for all stakeholders, simultaneously recognizing the demands of vulnerable groups, the issue of diversity on campus, avoiding harm as well as diversifying curricula. The major foundation of the argument for inclusive freedom is also fortified in her re-affirmation of the fact that "free speech and inquiry are central tenets of the university or college life and its mission, and that diversity, equity, and inclusion need to be respected" (pp. 42–43).

In Chapter 3, entitled "Identity and Free Speech on the Quad," and Chapter 4, entitled "Putting Civility in its Place," the writer suggests the ways to implement inclusive freedom in the public context and in classrooms, respectively. In the third chapter, the writer specifically advocates for inclusive freedom while challenging the complexities in the notion of safe space, identity, harmful speech, and civility, among others. An interesting read in the chapter comes where the writer discusses two types of safety: Intellectual and dignitary safety. On the one hand, the writer advocates for dignitary safety, which refers to "the sense of being an equal member of the community and of being invited to contribute to a discussion as valued participant" (p. 62). On the other hand, she states that intellectual safety, the refusal to listen to difference and as a [End Page E-1] denial of opposing viewpoints, is harmful to free inquiry (p. 62).

Similarly, in "Putting Civility in its Place," the writer raises crucial issues that curtail free expression in the classroom, ranging from the issue of tenure to campus student groups and their leaders in the light of identity. In this section, the writer states the need to distinguish between speech inside and outside the classroom, the notion of safety in these two contexts, and how these can be dealt with in the light of inclusive freedom as a framework. The writer argues that intellectual safety should be rejected in the classroom and that students and instructors should...