Episode 1: Who wishes to speak? - Free Speech in Ancient Athens

The democracy of Ancient Athens was the birthplace of equal and uninhibited speech. Or Isegoria and parrhesia to the Athenians. Jacob Mchangama guides you through how oratory was central to the idea and practice of Athenian democracy. What Athenian style free speech entailed for ordinary citizens, comedians, philosophers, and orators. How oligarchic coup d’etats twice drowned Athenian free speech in blood and repression. The extreme methods used by Demosthenes to become the greatest orator of antiquity. And of course: the trial of Socrates: Was he a martyr for free speech or an impious and seditious enemy of democracy? So the following episode is an attempt to bring to life a pivotal but often forgotten period as we embark on the first stop of what I hope will be a long journey together through the history of free speech. Stay up to date with Clear and Present Danger on the show’s Facebook and Twitter pages, or visit the podcast’s website at freespeechhistory.com.

Om Podcasten

This Week in Free Speech is your weekly deep dive into the most cutting-edge global developments affecting the most important of human rights: freedom of expression. Each week your host Jacob Mchangama invites a guest with particular relevance or expertise to discuss a hot topic with global relevance for free speech, whether online or offline. Jacob Mchangama is the executive director of the Future of Free Speech Project, research professor at Vanderbilt University author of the critically acclaimed book “FREE SPEECH: A History from Socrates to Social Media” and the writer and narrator of the podcast “Clear and Present Danger: A History of Free Speech”.