"The thrust of this thought-provoking book is that freedom of expression, rather than being seen as an isolatable component of deliberative politics, should be contemplated as an interlocking feature of a sociopolitical system. ... It is a complicated formulation, steeped in the traditions of moral political theory, but for readers who invest in the argument, the book is a provocative and rewarding experience. ... Recommended. Graduate students through faculty." (S. B. Lichtman, Choice, Vol. 56 (1), September, 2018)
1. Introduction
2. Possession and Expression
3. Expression and Injury
4. Public Choice, Class, and the Ecology of Expression
5. Autonomy, Fulfillment, and Expression
6. The Instrumental Value of Expression
7. Expression on Government Land, by Government Workers, and in Non-Governmental Associations
8. Respecting and Promoting Free Expression: Case Studies
Gary Chartier is Distinguished Professor of Law and Business Ethics and Associate Dean of the Tom and Vi Zapara School of Business at La Sierra University in Riverside, California.
This book advances a comprehensive moral defense of freedom of expression—one with implications for law and policy, but also for the choices of individuals and non-governmental institutions. Gary Chartier seeks to ground expressive freedom in mutually supportive concerns related to themes including property, autonomy, flourishing, and discovery, while seeking to tightly cabin the range of potential injuries that might trigger legal liability for expressive activity. Chartier argues suggestively for an understanding of expressive freedom as rooted and realized in a complex set of social ecosystems that merit protection on multiple grounds and applies it provocatively to a range of contemporary issues.