This book offers a holistic account of the problems posed by freedom of expression in our current times and offers corrective measures to allow for a more genuine exchange of ideas within the global society.

The topic of free speech is rarely addressed from a historical, philosophical, or theological perspective. In The Collapse of Freedom of Expression, Jordi Pujol explores both the modern concept of the freedom of expression based on the European Enlightenment and the deficiencies inherent in this framework. Modernity has disregarded the traditional roots of the freedom of expression drawn from Christianity, Greek philosophy, and Roman law, which has left the door open to the various forms of abuse, censorship, and restrictions seen in contemporary public discourse. Pujol proposes that we rebuild the foundations of the freedom of expression by returning to older traditions and incorporating both the field of pragmatics of language and theological and ethical concepts on human intentionality as new, complementary disciplines.

Pujol examines emblematic cases such as Charlie Hebdo, free speech on campus, and online content moderation to elaborate on the tensions that arise within the modern concept of freedom of expression. The book explores the main criticisms of the contemporary liberal tradition by communitarians, libertarians, feminists, and critical race theorists, and analyzes the gaps and contradictions within these traditions. Pujol ultimately offers a reconstruction project that involves bridging the chasm between the secular and the sacred and recognizing that religion is a font of meaning for millions of people, and as such has an inescapable place in the construction of a pluralist public sphere.

This book offers a holistic account of the problems posed by freedom of expression in our current times and offers corrective measures to allow for a more genuine exchange of ideas within the global society.

The topic of free speech is rarely addressed from a historical, philosophical, or theological perspective. In The Collapse of Freedom of Expression, Jordi Pujol explores both the modern concept of the freedom of expression based on the European Enlightenment and the deficiencies inherent in this framework. Modernity has disregarded the traditional roots of the freedom of expression drawn from Christianity, Greek philosophy, and Roman law, which has left the door open to the various forms of abuse, censorship, and restrictions seen in contemporary public discourse. Pujol proposes that we rebuild the foundations of the freedom of expression by returning to older traditions and incorporating both the field of pragmatics of language and theological and ethical concepts on human intentionality as new, complementary disciplines.

Pujol examines emblematic cases such as Charlie Hebdo, free speech on campus, and online content moderation to elaborate on the tensions that arise within the modern concept of freedom of expression. The book explores the main criticisms of the contemporary liberal tradition by communitarians, libertarians, feminists, and critical race theorists, and analyzes the gaps and contradictions within these traditions. Pujol ultimately offers a reconstruction project that involves bridging the chasm between the secular and the sacred and recognizing that religion is a font of meaning for millions of people, and as such has an inescapable place in the construction of a pluralist public sphere.

Acknowledgements

Foreword by John D. Peters, Yale University

Introduction

Part I – Freedom of Expression under Threat: Emblematic Cases

1. I am not Charlie Hebdo. Defending Freedom of Expression but Not Its Content

2. The Paradox of Freedom of Expression on Campus

3. The Threat of Religious Fanaticism: Jyllands Posten and the Regensburg Address

4. The Rise of a New Orthodoxy: The Intolerance of Secular Relativism

5. Facebook’s Content Moderation Rule: Private Censorship of Public Discourse

PART II – The Liberal Tradition of Freedom of Expression and Its Contradictions

6. The Sustainability of the Liberal Rationale: Main Critiques

7. A Fabricated Notion of Tolerance

8. The Epistemological Shortfall: A Homogenous Concept of Discourse

9. The Anthropological Shortfall: Modernity’s Idea of Mankind

10. The Neutrality of the Public Space: A Useful Fiction

PART III – Historical and Philosophical Development of Freedom of Expression

11. The Origins of Freedom of Expression

12. Old-School and New-School Censorship

13. The Classical Tradition of the Founding Fathers of The United States

14. The Contemporary Tradition in the United States: Holmes and Harvard

15. The European Tradition: Hate Speech Laws

PART IV – Reconstructing the Foundations of Freedom of Expression

16. Reframing Freedom of Expression as a Human Good

17. Reconsidering the Legal Grounds

18. Reshaping the Harm Principle. Pragmatics of Language and Natural Ethics

19. Repairing the Relationship Between Secular and Sacred

20. Revisiting the Limits of Freedom of Expression