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Freedom Of Communicative Action: A Theory Of The First Amendment Freedom Of Speech, Lawrence B. Solum
Freedom Of Communicative Action: A Theory Of The First Amendment Freedom Of Speech, Lawrence B. Solum
Georgetown Law Faculty Publications and Other Works
We are still searching for an adequate theory of the first amendment freedom of speech. Despite a plethora of judicial opinions and scholarly articles, there are fundamental conflicts over the meaning of the words "Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech." This Article examines the possibility that recent developments in social theory can aid our understanding of the freedom of speech. My thesis is that Jiirgen Habermas' theory of communicative action can serve as the basis for an interpretation of the first amendment that fits the general contours of existing first amendment doctrine and provides a …