What is Free Speech? With Fara Dabhoiwala | Bonus 1

This is the first bonus episode of The Battle for Free Speech. Today, host Michael Fox speaks with Fara Dabhoiwala. He is a professor of History at Princeton University. And he’s the author of the book, What is Free Speech? The History of a Dangerous Idea.

That book was published in 2025 by Penguin Random House and Harvard University Press. His book, in many ways, challenges the status quo about our understanding of free speech.

Professor Dabhoiwala has a wealth of knowledge on the subject of free speech and he appeared throughout this podcast series. But there were many questions we weren’t able to fit into the series, in particular about the beginnings of what we understand as free speech in the United States, and the difference between free speech in the US and abroad.

So today, we’re bringing you Michael’s conversation with him in its entirety. They spoke last fall.

The Battle for Free Speech Podcast is a production of The Real News Network. Hosted by Michael Fox and Marc Steiner.

Guest

• Fara Dabhoiwala

Resources

• You can check out the full Battle for Free Speech podcast series, here.

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