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Jul 2025
37m 32s

The 300-year battle over free speech

IMMEDIATE MEDIA
About this episode
From the French Revolution to the social media age, Fara Dabhoiwala charts the surprising history of the idea that people should be able to say what they like From America's founding fathers via John Stuart Mill to today's social media giants, humanity has long wrestled with the idea of free speech. What does it mean? Can it really apply to everyone? And ... Show More
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