Free Speech: A Right for Good – and for Trouble‐Making?

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Free Speech, intended to permit citizens of any community to publicly express dissent in order to influence, even change governance for the good of society has also given license to some members of society to insult, attack and harm others within and outside one's own society. This key element of human rights, “the freedom of speech” can and has been subject to corruption and used to attack those with whom, our ideology is in disaccord. The Janus Dilemma has it that “free speech” yields words of guidance and human good; but also words of attack and of wounding that stir human conflict.