The purpose of this essay is explanatory; to help your audience understand a controversial issue as well as how and why people argue different points of view. You’re not trying to convince your audience of one side or the other, simply making sure they fully understand the issue and the differing perspectives.
For this essay, you will be unpacking and providing a probing analysis of an issue we’ve been exploring, that of free speech. Your essay will provide an unbiased examination of the opposing views, helping your audience understand the issue through the lenses of people who hold different viewpoints.
For this essay, you will explore and analyze the opposing perspectives on the question: Is Freedom of Speech an Individual Right or a Public Good?
Essay Requirements:
Rather than simply producing a report of known information, focus on analyzing the different sides of the topic.
Your presentation needs to be fair, objective and impartial.
You should use at least three of the articles we’ve read concerning the topic of free speech, and include at least one additional article based on your own research.
The essay should be at least 1000 words long, not counting the Works Cited page.
You will need to provide a Works Cited page with this essay (in the final draft only)
Source Materials:
Use three of the following articles:
“The Case for Restricting Hate Speech” by Nielsen
“Safe Spaces, Brave Spaces” by Palfrey
“The Coddling of the American Mind” by Lukianoff and Haidt
“Why We Need to Tolerate Hate” by Kamner
Optional Sources: (Can use for the additional source)
“What’s So Bad About Hate?” by A. Sullivan
“What ‘Snowflakes’ Get Right About Free Speech (Links to an external site.)” by U. Baer
“Ann Coulter Controversy Tests Berkeley’s Free Speech Credentials (Links to an external site.)” by E. McLaughlin
Possible Outline: (this is only a suggestion!!!)
I. Introduction: provide background on issue and introduce the debate
II. Conflict: Is free speech an unchanging individual right or a public good? Which might be more dangerous to democracy?
III. Individual Right or Public Good: Provide background over the conflict
a) Give Position A.
b) Give Position B.
c) provide analysis of the conflict between the two – consider the motivations
d) discuss each of their counterarguments
IV. Conclusion: Summarizes conflict, emphasizes importance of issue