Sparks Forum: Free Speech and the Enlightenment

November 8, 2023, 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Swann 115 and Online

The Sparks Forum, part of the Ethics, Technology, and Human Interaction Center (ETHICx), invites you to a talk by Professor Frederik Stjernfelt, Aalborg University, Denmark, titled "Free Speech and the Enlightenment: Some historical observations and their relevance for today."

Stjernfelt is a professor in the Department of Communication and Psychology, the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, and the Human Centred Science and Digital Technology Humanomics Research Group. He is, with Ulrik Langen, author of the book The World’s First Full Press Freedom: the Radical Experiment of Denmark Norway 1770-1773 (open access: https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110771800/html).  

This event has been made possible by generous support by the George H. and Fay C. Sparks Memorial Fund. Light refreshments will be served after the talk.

Abstract

In 1770, the kingdom of Denmark-Norway was the first in the world to institute full free speech by the complete abolishment of censorship. This gave rise to the “Press Freedom Period” 1770-73, some of the most dramatic years of modern Danish history. Copenhagen events of the period caused widespread international outcry and reverberations, in the press of all major Western media, including those of America. Thus, the event forms a major event in the core period of the Enlightenment. Based on recent research, an outline of what happened will be presented and implications for current debates on free speech discussed.