The Misconceived Search for the Meaning of “Speech” in Freedom of Speech

Larry Alexander

University of San Diego School of Law, San Diego, USA.

DOI: 10.4236/ojpp.2015.51005                

Abstract

In this (very) short essay, I establish these points: All speech is symbolic; any conduct can be used to communicate a message (i.e., symbolically); government’s purpose in regulating, and not a speaker’s intention to communicate, defines the realm of freedom of expression; and determining the value of speech has a denominator problem.

Keywords

Speech, Symbolic Speech, Low Value Speech, Governmental Purpose

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

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