Chapter 1 - Free Speech, But …

Summary

Introduces the concept of freedom of speech and the legal and social constraints on speech. Free speech is often framed as absolute, but in practice our speech is limited by laws – bans on obscenity, threats, even entire languages. Other social forces hedge our speech as well: parents and teachers attempt to steer our speech; employers tell us what to say and what not to say; and groups of friends set norms and exact punishments for speech behavior in social settings. In all, as speakers and writers we contend with explicit and implicit rules about what we can and cannot say.