This course may be used to satisfy one of four electives required within the Communication major.This course investigates the breakdown of our collective capacity to determine what is true and what is false, who is to be trusted as legitimate purveyors of knowledge, and whether having an open mind is possible or desirable, given contemporary threats to liberal democracy. Conflicts and controversies concerning free speech will be of central interest, as will the rhetorical strategies employed by those involved in the debate. We will read without prejudice the views of good-willed progressive, conservative, liberal, and libertarian thinkers, and critically assess the strengths and weaknesses of each worldview. The core questions we will consider include: How should we determine the ideal balance between individual freedom and the needs, norms, and values of the broader community? What ideas and images should be tolerated, regardless of their capacity to offend, and which representations should be considered intolerable insofar as they (arguably) create conditions of clear and present danger? What are the responsibilities of media "gatekeepers," and how are we to decide who (if anyone) is qualified to serve that function?
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