Freedom of Speech and Expression

Sir Richard Sorabji, the British historian of ancient Western philosophy, examines free speech through a historical lens from antiquity up to today. He first traces its origins as a philosophical idea in ancient India, Rome, and Greece, and follows its evolution through early Christian, medieval, and Arabic philosophy. He then discusses historical threats to free speech in literary, political, and religious contexts, and various legal constraints that have attempted
to protect it. Finally, he closes with an analysis of free speech on social media and the abuse of personal data and voter manipulation.