Political Thinkers and their Relevance Today – John Stuart Mill and John Rawls on Free Speech with Dr Alexander Brown from University of East Anglia

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In this Politics session, Dr Alexander Brown, Associate Professor (Reader) in Political and Legal Theory in the School of Politics, Philosophy and Area Studies at University of East Anglia, will run an interactive talk for students entitled Political Thinkers and their Relevance Today – John Stuart Mill and John Rawls.

This session explores the theme of free speech by comparing the philosophies of John Stuart Mill and John Rawls and applying these theories to contemporary debates.

We will explain their two different theoretical methods of justifying basic liberal freedoms like free speech and how their different methods could be interpreted to have implications for how strictly the principle of free speech ought to be applied.

Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how these historical frameworks dictate whether free speech should be treated as an absolute right or a flexible tool for the common good.

Lecturer Profile: Dr Alexander Brown

Our events are designed so that a group of students can take part from a classroom or students and teachers can take part as individuals, either from school or from home. There is no charge to take part.

As a live, participative event, this session will not be recorded but slides and other resources will be shared after the event, where available.

Suitable for: Aged 16+ pre-university students studying, or with a possible interest in studying, Politics, Philosophy and related disciplines. Student groups as well as students and teachers joining individually are very welcome.

Preparation/Pre-Reading: Students may wish to consider the topic in advance and questions they have. Students can also think about questions about studying at university level.

The IT Setup: The event will be run on Zoom and participants will be able to join using laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. If you are joining as a school group, we recommend connecting with one device and projecting on to a whiteboard. You will be able to interact with the speaker via typed comments and questions and/or via a microphone. Full details will be sent to those who have registered (see below) prior to the event.

Booking a Place: This is free for schools and colleges. If you would like to take part in this event, please register your interest using the link to the registration form below:

Register here