The Tolerant Society: Freedom of Speech and Extremist Speech in America
Files
Publication Date
1986
Description
Bollinger provides a masterful critique of the major theories of freedom of expression, finding these theories persuasive but inadequate. Buttressing his argument with references to the well-known Skokie case and many other examples, as well as with a careful analysis of the primary literature on free speech, he contends that the real value of toleration of extremist speech lies in the extraordinary self-control toward antisocial behavior that it elicits: society is strengthened by the exercise of tolerance.
Disciplines
American Politics | Communication | First Amendment | Law
ISBN
0195040007
Publisher
Oxford University Press
City
New York, NY
Reviews
"Very nice overview."
—John Peters, University of Iowa
"Challenging and thought provoking. Ideal collateral reading."
—Joseph E. Schuster, Eastern Washington University
"A welcome addition to the literature on the first amendment."
—D. Grier Stephenson, Jr., Franklin and Marshall College
"A novel and imaginative perspective on the role of freedom of speech in our society."
—New York Times Book Review
"Elegantly written.... Rich in perceptive observations. The analysis is balanced and never hackneyed.... As interesting on the third reading as on the first."
—Columbia Law Review
Recommended Citation
Bollinger, Lee C., "The Tolerant Society: Freedom of Speech and Extremist Speech in America" (1986). Faculty Books. 365.
https://scholarship.law.columbia.edu/books/365