The limits to freedom of speech: an analysis of the debate concerning prohibitions of hate speech from an emblematic case

• Main Author: Azevedo, Octavio Sampaio de Moura
• Publication Date: 2019
• Format: Article
• Language: por
• Source: Mediações - Revista de Ciências Sociais
• Download full: https://ojs.uel.br/revistas/uel/index.php/mediacoes/article/view/36550
• topic: Freedom of speech; Hate speech; Robert C. Post; Beauharnais; Public discourse; La libertad de expresión; El discurso del odio; Discurso público; Liberdade de expressão; Discurso de ódio; Robert C. Post; Beauharnais; Public discourse

The purpose of this article is to investigate the debate concerning the permissibility of restrictions to hate speech setting of from an emblematic case of the Supreme Court of the United States: Beauharnais v. Illinois, from 1952. The analysis of the arguments 1 Mestre em Filosofia e Teoria Geral do Direito pela Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de São Paulo e gestor de projetos no Instituto Pro Bono (IPB, São Paulo, SP, Brasil). Email: [e-mail]. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5426-6435. OCTAVIO SAMPAIO DE MOURA AZEVEDO I Os Limites à Liberdade de Expressão 57 presented by the Justices in their opinions will enable us to identify the central points of controversy of the debate, so as to create a reliable metric to better understand it. In addition to the arguments discussed, the thoughts of Robert C. Post on the subject will also be brought to the present investigation, specially his conception of freedom of speech founded in the idea of selfgovernment, the different categories of harms caused by hateful speeches and his concept of public discourse. Through this investigation, we aim to bring more clarity to the concepts and categories of the debate, pointing out what really is at stake when we discuss restriction of freedom of speech in these cenarios.