Cancel Wars: Free Speech and the University, A Conversation with Sigal Ben-Porath

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Event Description:

Join us for an evening with Sigal Ben-Porath, philosopher and author of Cancel Wars: How Universities Can Foster Free Speech, Promote Inclusion, and Renew Democracy. In Cancel Wars, Ben-Porath argues that the escalating struggles over “cancel culture,” “safe spaces,” and free speech on campus are a manifestation of broader democratic erosion in the United States. She sets out to demonstrate the role of the university in American society and, specifically, how it can model free speech in ways that promote democratic ideals.

Ben-Porath will be interviewed by Liana Keesing, a Stanford Ethics in Society Honors Senior and Intercollegiate Civil Disagreement Fellow studying electrical engineering.

Bios:

Sigal Ben-Porath is a Professor of Literacy, Culture, and International Education at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education with affiliations in the departments of Political Science and Philosophy.

Ben-Porath researches democratic theory and practice, and studies the ways institutions like schools and colleges can sustain and advance democracy. Her recent books include Cancel Wars (2023) Making Up Our Mind: What School Choice is Really About (2019), and Free Speech on Campus (2017). She is currently continuing her work on campus free speech, and is researching the promise of civic dialogue in schools and colleges.

Liana Keesing is a Stanford senior majoring and co-terming in Electrical Engineering. She is currently an Ethics in Society Honors Student writing a thesis on the ethics of personal home surveillance technology and is an Intercollegiate Civil Disagreement Fellow.