Free speech is vital to human flourishing, but it’s in a decade-long slump
Freedom of expression and freedom of information aren’t just important for democracy, they’re also crucial to peace, economic growth and even food security. While the 20th century saw a worldwide expansion of free-speech protections, over the past decade, press freedom and human rights organisations have reported a troubling rise in governments cracking down on free speech, especially in areas related to digital communication. In this instalment of Aeon In Sight, Agnès Callamard, the director of Columbia University’s Global Freedom of Expression initiative, explains why free speech has been threatened by state-level responses to the rise of the internet and the international war on terror.
videoDemography and migration
The volunteers who offer a last line of care for migrants at a contentious border
30 minutes
videoHistory
In Stalin’s home city in Georgia, generations clash over his legacy
20 minutes
videoEcology and environmental sciences
Join endangered whooping cranes on their perilous migratory path over North America
6 minutes
videoHuman rights and justice
Surreal, dazzling visuals form an Iranian expat’s tribute to defiance back home
10 minutes
videoLanguage and linguistics
Do button-pushing dogs have something new to say about language?
9 minutes
videoComputing and artificial intelligence
Why large language models are mysterious – even to their creators
8 minutes
videoEthics
Plato saw little value in privacy. How do his ideas hold up in the information age?
5 minutes
videoInformation and communication
‘Astonished and somewhat terrified’ – Victorians’ reactions to the phonograph
36 minutes
videoPolitical philosophy
The radical activist couple who fought for social change in the courtroom
21 minutes