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The Misconceived Search for the Meaning of “Speech” in Freedom of Speech
University of San Diego School of Law, San Diego, USA
- 1 University of San Diego School of Law, San Diego, USA
Open Journal of Philosophy·Volume 05 (2015)·Pages 39–42·Published 12 January 2015·DOI10.4236/ojpp.2015.51005
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Abstract
In this (very) short essay, I establish these points: All speech is symbolic; any conduct can be used to communicate a message (i.e., symbolically); government’s purpose in regulating, and not a speaker’s intention to communicate, defines the realm of freedom of expression; and determining the value of speech has a denominator problem.
KeywordsSpeechSymbolic SpeechLow Value SpeechGovernmental Purpose
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