The Forging of Freedom of Speech: Essays on Argumentation in Congressional Debates on the Bill of Rights and on the Sedition Act

The Forging of Freedom of Speech examines the important aspects of a formative stage in the historical process that was a prerequisite to, and eventually resulted in, the current conception of freedom of expression in the United States. Author Juhani Rudanko shows how the framework of fallacy theory offers a new methodological approach to the analysis of important political debates in the Early Republic. Rudanko offers an innovative comparison of the philosophical views of the American statesman and political philosopher James Madison and the German political philosopher Hegel on the subject of freedom of expression. The comparison serves to highlight the pioneering nature of Madison's political philosophy.