Freedom of Speech
The book’s focus is on freedom of speech and what content can place it in jeopardy. The sources, discussions and limitations of free speech, the relationship between ideology, freedom of speech in the media, and public issues are analyzed. From historical point of view, the citizens of more or less democratic societies assume freedom of speech as a basic right to challenge dictatorships, totalitarianisms and authority of any kind. Freedom of speech cannot be understood without the fundamental principles of democratic society, including a tolerance of others, their right to express various and unique opinions, open to challenge by others, and requiring mutual respect. Three domains for social responsibility concerning freedom of speech are addressed: practical, ecological and creative.
Tomas Kačerauskas is professor and the head of Department of Philosophy and Cultural Studies at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VILNIUS TECH). He has studied philosophy at Vilnius University (Lithuania) and at Freiburg University (Germany). He has produced over 120 publications in 9 languages (English, Spanish, German, Russian, Polish, Slovakian, Ukrainian, Latvian, Lithuanian) including 6 monographs and translation of M. Heidegger’s “Being and Time” into Lithuanian. His publications are in the fields of philosophy, of sociology and of communication. He was teaching at the universities in Lithuania, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Colombia, Poland etc. As keynote speaker, he was taking part in the international conferences in Italy, Turkey, Hungary, Poland and Ukraine.
Algis Mickūnas is professor of Department of Philosophy at Ohio University, USA and of Department of Philosophy and Cultural Studies at Vilnius Gediminas Technical University (VILNIUS TECH). He has published over 40 books and over 200 articles in English, Lithuanian, Spanish, German and Russian. His publications are in the field of philosophy, of communication and of political studies. He was teaching at the universities in USA, Lithuania and Guatemala. He is member of Lithuanian Academy of Science.