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The Limits of the Rights to Free Thought and Expression
- Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal
- Johns Hopkins University Press
- Volume 31, Number 2, June 2021
- pp. 133-152
- 10.1353/ken.2021.0009
- Article
- Additional Information
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ABSTRACT:
It is often held that people have a moral right to believe and say whatever they want. For instance, one might claim that they have a right to believe racist things as long as they keep those thoughts to themselves. Or, one might claim that they have a right to pursue any scholarly question they want as long as they do so with a civil tone. This paper rejects those claims and argues that no one has such unlimited moral rights. Part 1 explores the value of the freedoms of thought and expression. Part 2 argues against the unlimited moral right to free expression, focusing in particular on the special obligations and moral constraints that obtain for academics. Part 3 argues against the unlimited moral right to free thought.