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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic

@ericheinze.bsky.social
132 followers 112 following 186 posts

Websites: linktr.ee/ericheinze Newest book: "Coming Clean: The Rise of Critical Theory and the Future of the Left" @mitpress; JD Harvard, PhD Leiden

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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Oxford University Press has now posted online 25 chapters of the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of Hate Speech, which I have proudly co-edited with Natalie Alkiviadou, Tom Herrenberg, Sejal Parmar and Ioanna Tourkochoriti. More outstanding chapters coming soon! academic.oup.com/edited-volum...
academic.oup.com
The Oxford Handbook of Hate Speech
Abstract. Many volumes covering the vast topic of free speech have been published in recent years, but this collection focuses entirely on the problem of h
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Reposted by Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic
Ivor Middleton @iwasid.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Robin Simcox, eh. Bookmark for later reading.
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
Delighted to see that @audiobookscom.bsky.social is currently offering a limited-time 60 percent offer on my book "The Most Human Right: Why Free Speech is Everything" published by @mitpress.bsky.social . www.audiobooks.co.uk/promotions/p...
audiobooks.co.uk
60% OFF The Most Human Right: Why Free Speech is Everything
What are human rights? Are they laid out definitively in the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights or the US Bill of Rights? Are they items on a checklist—dignity, justice, progress, standard of living, health care, housing? In The Most Human Right, Eric Heinze explains why global human rights systems have failed. International organizations constantly report on how governments manage human goods, such as fair trials, humane conditions of detention, health care, or housing. But to appease autocratic regimes, experts have ignored the primacy of free speech. Heinze argues that goods become rights only when citizens can claim them publicly and fearlessly: free speech is the fundamental right, without which the very concept of a “right” makes no sense. Heinze argues that throughout history countless systems of justice have promised human goods. What, then, makes human rights different? What must human rights have that other systems have lacked? Heinze revisits the origins of the concept, exploring what it means for a nation to protect human rights, and what a citizen needs in order to pursue them. He explains how free speech distinguishes human rights from other ideas about justice, past and present.
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
« La liberté d’expression : les États-Unis contre le reste du monde ? » C’est un grand honneur d’avoir été invité à en discuter en ligne le lundi 13 avril, à 12 h (EST) / 17 h (UK). dandurand.uqam.ca/evenement/la...
dandurand.uqam.ca
La liberté d’expression : Les États-Unis contre le reste du monde ? - Chaire Raoul-Dandurand en études stratégiques et diplomatiques - UQAM
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
Should it be illegal for government ministers to knowingly and deliberately lie to the public? Delighted to have been invited to debate the question on Jan 19 at The Conduit . Join us online! www.theconduit.com/upcoming-eve...
theconduit.com
The Big Debate: Should Lying In Politics Become a Criminal Offence? - The Conduit
Mon 19 Jan, 6pm -7:30pm Leading voices in law, media and politics weigh in on safeguarding democracy and upholding freedom of political expression.
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
Memory laws—legal provisions that regulate the public representation of historical events—increasingly govern struggles over democratic governance. Presenting my ideas at CRISIS, CONSTITUTIONALISM, GOVERNANCE IN EUROPE Fri 9 Jan, Sapienza Università. www.onuitalia.it/event/crisis...
onuitalia.it
CRISIS, CONSTITUTIONALISM, GOVERNANCE IN EUROPE – www.onuitalia.it
Conosci da vicino i programmi, gli obiettivi e le opportunità offerte dalle Winter Schools di UNICRI e dei suoi partner, SIOI e LUMSA Human Academy. Partecipa ai due Open Day Virtuali dedicati!
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 28/12/2025
"Democracy and the clashes of universals". Many thanks to the always brilliant Fabrizio Sciacca for inviting me to keynote on this topic at the Università di Catania in January. www.agenda.unict.it/21153-abolis...
agenda.unict.it
Abolishing Democracy - Is the future post-political? - Università di Catania - L'Agenda
Venerdì 16 e sabato 17 gennaio, nell'aula magna di Palazzo Pedagaggi, il Dipartimento di Scienze politiche e sociali dell’Università di Catania, organizza il convegno internazionale "Abolishing Democracy: is the future post-political?", un invito a una riflessione profonda e non retorica sul destino della democrazia nel nostro presente, nel tempo in cui la politica sembra cedere il passo ai dati, agli algoritmi e alle decisioni automatizzate.
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 27/12/2025
Despite claiming to defend free speech has Trump buried it? Delighted to see my piece included in Merion West's top 10 for 2025. www.merionwest.com/ten-notable-...
merionwest.com
Ten Notable Articles from 2025
As is tradition at our magazine, senior editor Jonathan Church offers his selections of the ten articles published in 2025 that most deserve to be reread and reconsidered.
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Patrick Ostendorf @postendorf.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
Not false, but real balancing here in the best sense of that word. Just finished reading, highly recommendable!
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
"How free should online speech be?" That will be my topic with Public Policy Exchange's online event on hate crime this coming Thursday 11 December. Do join in! www.publicpolicyexchange.co.uk/event.php?ev...
publicpolicyexchange.co.uk
Confronting Hate Crime in the UK: Tackling Hate, Rebuilding Community Relations and Embracing Common Humanity | Public Policy Exchange
The recent deadly attack on a Manchester synagogue has starkly highlighted the challenge of tackling rising levels of hate in the UK. The number of hate crimes recorded by police in England and Wales
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
"Has Socialism's Time Come?" Thrilled to take part in this panel discussion joined by Zoe Strimpel, James Schneider, and @zoejardiniere.bsky.social at the Oxford Literary Festival, hosted by Stephen Law, Friday 27 March. Tickets now available, so come join us.
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
"If free speech comprises a total set of human activities, does artificial intelligence merely comprise a subset?" Many thanks to @nataliealkiviadou.bsky.social and @futurefreespeech.org for inviting me to speak on this next Monday, Örebro University, Sweden: futurefreespeech.org/roundtable-o...
futurefreespeech.org
Roundtable on Generative AI and Freedom of Expression - The Future of Free Speech
The roundtable will explore how Artificial Intelligence (AI) reshapes freedom of expression, both as a driver of creativity and a new regulatory frontier.
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 31/10/2025
Delighted by the opportunity to return to the fantastic people at the Ethical Society of Northern Westchester in New York's autumnally picturesque Hudson River valley. Free places also available online. esnw.org/is-the-golde...
esnw.org
“IS THE GOLDEN AGE OF FREE SPEECH AT AN END – AND DID IT EVER REALLY EXIST?” with Eric Heinze – Ethical Society of Northern Westchester
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 08/10/2025
Is #FreedomOfSpeech about individual autonomy? Or is it about #Democratic participation? My piece now published in the Oxford Journal of Legal Studies (available in Advance View by clicking "PDF" at academic.oup.com/ojls/advance...).
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
Should "X" and Instagram be treated as "private" speakers? Or do they operate more like Putin's #Russia? Delightful to have had the opportunity to talk to @volokhc.bsky.social and Jane Bambauer @hooverinstitution.bsky.social at @stanforduniversity.bsky.social. www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgXW...
youtube.com
From Brandenburg to Britain: Rethinking Free Speech in the Digital Era with Eric Heinze
YouTube video by Hoover Institution
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 15/09/2025
Looking forward to a public discussion on October 28 with Princeton sociologist @shamuskhan.bsky.social about my new book "Coming Clean" published by @mitpress.bsky.social. On campus at @princetonpl.bsky.social. princetonlibrary.libnet.info/event/14389483
princetonlibrary.libnet.info
Author: Eric Heinze
Eric Heinze, joined in conversation by Shamus Khan, presents his new book, "Coming Clean: The Rise of Critical Theory and the Future of the Left." Registration requested, but not required.
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 03/10/2025
Looking forward to trip back to @harvard.edu and HYBRID lunchtime discussion of my new book published with @mitpress.bsky.social, Oct. 30, 12.15. Online places now open. hrp.law.harvard.edu/hrp-event/bo...
hrp.law.harvard.edu
Book Talk on Coming Clean: The Rise of Critical Theory and the Future of the Left   - Harvard Law School | Human Rights Program
Click here to register on Zoom Join us for a lively discussion with Eric Heinze, featuring his recently published book...
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 03/10/2025
The eerie comedy of #Trump's #America claiming to lead the world in free speech. Delighted to have been interviewed for Le Soir. (PDF available). www.lesoir.be/702597/artic...
lesoir.be
La liberté d’expression : bafouée aux Etats-Unis, préservée en Europe
L’administration Trump s’approprie la liberté d’expression pour mieux censurer ses opposants. En Europe, elle semble, jusqu’ici, mieux protégée.
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 25/09/2025
#Trump's attacks on #science have nothing to do attacking #Democracy, right? Wrong. My piece today in The European. the-european.eu/story-51626/...
the-european.eu
Trump Undermines Scientific Authority: The Attack on Democracy
Trump undermines scientific authority with false claims about painkillers, challenging evidence-based knowledge and threatening democracy itself.
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 20/09/2025
Trumpism was supposedly based on reducing the intrusive powers of big #government, yet #Trump continues to expand his power by the day. My interview on Friday with @france24.com. www.france24.com/en/video/202...
france24.com
America's Founding Fathers built a federal system, rejecting monarchy and 'absolutism'
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 15/09/2025
Looking forward to a public discussion on October 28 with Princeton sociologist @shamuskhan.bsky.social about my new book "Coming Clean" published by @mitpress.bsky.social. On campus at @princetonpl.bsky.social. princetonlibrary.libnet.info/event/14389483
princetonlibrary.libnet.info
Author: Eric Heinze
Eric Heinze, joined in conversation by Shamus Khan, presents his new book, "Coming Clean: The Rise of Critical Theory and the Future of the Left." Registration requested, but not required.
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 01/09/2025
I support the 6 September Brussels rally for a Free Iran & Maryam Rajavi’s Third option - no war, no appeasement — yes to freedom by the people & their resistance. #BrusselsFreeIranRally #NCRIAlternative #IranThirdOption
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 25/08/2025
What's great about #FreeSpeech is that it's free... errm.... right? Think again. My piece published today in Merion West. www.merionwest.com/who-pays-for...
merionwest.com
Who Pays for "Free" Speech?
Law professor Eric Heinze reminds us that for all the rhetoric about free speech, demonstrations and protests often impose on the public costs of millions of dollars.
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
This morning I received a copy of "Theory Across Disciplines" edited by Jeffrey Di Leo. I enjoyed writing about the rebirth of Justice Theory in my chapter titled "Multidiscplinarity in Law". www.bloomsbury.com/uk/theory-ac... #JusticeTheory #Law #Multidisciplinarity
bloomsbury.com
Theory Across Disciplines
Surveying the extraordinary scope of contemporary theory, Jeffrey R. Di Leo brings together contributors from around the world to speak to the ways in which the…
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 18/08/2025
Do words like 'terrorist' and 'extremist' have any real meaning? Do they just mask outright ideological struggles? My contribution to the UK Commission for Countering #Extremism, edited by Robin Simcox published today. Thanks also to Claire Yau. www.gov.uk/government/p...
gov.uk
How we should - and shouldn’t - ban extremist speech
An essay written by Eric Heinze, part of a series of essays on defending free speech commissioned by Robin Simcox, the former Commissioner for Countering Extremism.
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 17/08/2025
Hateful communications erode liberal-democratic values. But is it the #liberal values or the #democratic values that they attack? Delighted that my article will soon appear in the Oxford Journal of Legal Studies. In the meantime it is visible on @ssrn.bsky.social . papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
papers.ssrn.com
Banning Hate Speech: Are Our Debates about Liberal Values or about Democratic Values?
Hateful communications erode liberal-democratic values, yet is it the liberal values or the democratic values that they attack? Neither purely liberal nor purel
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 05/08/2025
Humbled to read these kind words from former @barackobama.bsky.social ambassador and razor-sharp political analyst Luis Moreno about my new book with @mitpress.bsky.social.
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The Conversation UK @uk.theconversation.com · 31/07/2025
Many universities will have to change the way they approach free speech.
tcnv.link
England’s new free speech law comes into force – what it means for universities
Many universities will have to change the way they approach free speech.
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 31/07/2025
Telling #universities they need #FreeSpeech means it will work... right? My article today in @theconversation.com theconversation.com/englands-new...
theconversation.com
England’s new free speech law comes into force – what it means for universities
Many universities will have to change the way they approach free speech.
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 12/07/2025
Copy just arrived today. Congratulations to @nataliealkiviadou.bsky.social on her new book.
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 09/07/2025
Very much enjoyed this interview on my book "Coming Clean" (@mitpress.bsky.social) with the brilliant Prof. F. Sciacca, published this month in Heliopolis. www.artetetra.it/heliopolis/2...
artetetra.it
2025 anno XXIII numero 1 - Heliopolis - ISSN 2281 - 3489 | Rivista di filosofia e simbolica politica
Contributi di Fabrizio Sciacca, Eric Heinze, Flavia Monceri, Gianluca Dioni, Michele Lanna, Casimiro Coniglione, Leonardo Masone, Theodora De Pasquale, Carlo Pontorieri
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 08/07/2025
Free speech is as much a concern for the #left as it is for the #right. Enjoyed this conversation with Wall Street Journal @wsj.com (BY: Max Colchester, Bertrand Benoit, Natasha Dangoor ) www.wsj.com/world/europe...
wsj.com
Europe’s Crackdown on Speech Goes Far and Wide
Loosely defined hate-speech laws and the rise of social media have led to zealous policing, resulting in fines and prison sentences for some offenders.
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MIT Press @mitpress.bsky.social · 07/07/2025
"[Heinze's] plea for leftist autocritique draws on important historical and contemporary examples, and is enlivened by literary references. A pleasure to read." — Rhoda E. Howard-Hassmann "Coming Clean" by @ericheinze.bsky.social is out now: mitpress.mit.edu/978026204958...
Hand holding a copy of "Coming Clean: The Rise of Cirtical Theory and the Future of the Left." The cover is white with four red brushstrokes running horizontally along the cover.
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HUMAN 3.0 @human30.bsky.social · 06/07/2025
@ericheinze.bsky.social It’s great to connect with you here. We’ve included your book, Coming Clean, on our website at http:://human3o.com/books.
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HUMAN 3.0 @human30.bsky.social · 06/07/2025
In The Technological Society, Jacques Ellul suggests that the dominance of technique can lead to a loss of freedom and individual agency as people become more integrated into a system driven by efficiency.
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HUMAN 3.0 @human30.bsky.social · 06/07/2025
The idea of an Internet of Things has morphed into the AI of Everything, & neither are a good thing as technology invades every sector of society & “technique," a comprehensive system of optimizing efficiency, increasingly dominates our lives. ia803209.us.archive.org/2/items/Jacq... #jacquesellul
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 02/07/2025
It was a pleasure to chat with Waseem Akhtar of Dublin City Radio about my new book "Coming Clean". www.mixcloud.com/1032DublinCi...
mixcloud.com
Demystified - 25th May 2025
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Foreign Policy @foreignpolicy.com · 27/06/2025
A preliminary assessment concluded that the U.S. strikes only set Iran’s nuclear program back by a few months. The JCPOA, on the other hand, promised to put Iran’s program in a well-watched cage for at least a decade.
foreignpolicy.com
Trump’s Iran Deal Withdrawal Comes Back to Haunt Him
Experts say the 2015 nuclear deal constrained Tehran’s nuclear ambitions better than the recent U.S. strikes.
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 20/06/2025
Just a silly statue? Countless lives around the world are being destroyed and damaged every day through a #Kremlin politics that have long been in revival. Hats off to Jeremy Hicks writing in @uk.theconversation.com. theconversation.com/why-is-stali...
theconversation.com
Why is Stalin back in the Moscow metro?
Joseph Stalin is making a comeback in Russia.
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 13/06/2025
#Trump supporters who scream about #freespeech pose the single greatest threat to free speech, and to #democracy, in the western world.
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 10/06/2025
"If we remain silent when debates are needed, that endangers democratic culture itself." It was a pleasure to speak to @RND_de about #FreeSpeech in #Europe (interviewed in German but translation on request.) www.rnd.de/politik/mein...
rnd.de
Zwischen Schutz und Schaden: Ist die Meinungsfreiheit in Europa in Gefahr?
Für einen Tweet ins Gefängnis? Der britische Umgang mit Hassrede im Netz ist zu einem Prüfstein für die Redefreiheit in Europa geworden. Und könnte dazu führen, dass Themen gemieden werden.
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 07/06/2025
Important article in @psychologytoday.com : Although @kayteegillis.bsky.social focuses on individual experience, the political implications are colossal. Do political agendas decide which past or present traumas "count" and which ones do not? www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/invi...
psychologytoday.com
Why Do Some Forms of Trauma Get More Empathy Than Others?
Society has hierarchies of empathy for trauma, and where survivors fall on that ladder shapes whether their suffering is met with support and empathy or not.
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 06/06/2025
“These categories — #extremism, #Terrorism — are often artificial.” My recent interview warning against excessive regulation of speech. themedialine.org/top-stories/...
themedialine.org
How Online Influencers Spread Justifications for Political Violence - The Media Line
After news broke that two Israeli Embassy workers […]
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 06/06/2025
If you can't witness the forces of good devouring the forces of evil, then witness the forces of evil devouring themselves. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cy...
bbc.co.uk
Musk-Trump fight: The tech billionaire and the president trade barbs
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blayneydeborah.bsky.social @blayneydeborah.bsky.social · 01/06/2025
As dumfounding as Vance: "the threat that I worry the most about..is not Russia, it's not China" but "the threat from within" Europe! @ericheinze.bsky.social "Vance was not totally wrong..Hungarians have faced relentless attacks on free speech" "Trump team tops the list" for "lessons in free speech"
qmul.ac.uk
Censorship, abortion and the ‘threat within’: what a free speech expert thinks of J.D. Vance’s remarks to Europe
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 01/06/2025
What a pleasure to explore ideas with Andy Libson and Eduardo Barcal of the "What's Left" podcasts (www.whatsleftpodcast.com/about-me/) and to talk about my new book "Coming Clean." www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPhZ...
youtube.com
“Coming Clean”: Critical Theory and the Left w/ Eric Heinze
YouTube video by What's Left?
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 31/05/2025
Waseem Akhtar of @dublincityfm.ie crosses boundaries from technology to philosophy. It was great to talk to him about #Politics, the left, and my new book "Coming Clean" with @mitpress.bsky.social dublincityfm.ie/shows/demyst...
dublincityfm.ie
Demystified - Dublin City FM
Presenter: Dr. Waseem Akhtar Email address: demystified@dublincityfm.ie
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
As I wrote a decade ago, defamation law often goes too far beyond protecting vulnerable, private individuals to the point of damaging essential news and opinion about high-profile people and events. This has to change. #gerryadamsbbc theconversation.com/british-mp-e...
theconversation.com
British MP exploits vague defamation law to sue Guardian journalist
Maverick MP George Galloway has announced he is suing Guardian journalist Hadley Freeman over an accusation she made about him on Twitter, following his appearance on a recent edition of Question Time...
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
Congratulations to The Politics Guys celebrating their 10th anniversary of podcasts. It was great to discuss my new book "Coming Clean" (@mitpress.bsky.social) with Michael Baranowski. politicsguys.com/eric-heinze-...
politicsguys.com
Eric Heinze on Critical Theory and the Left’s Blind Spots - The Politics Guys
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castbox | PocketCasts | Overcast Mike talks with Eric Heinze, professor at Queen Mary University of London and author of Coming Clean: The Rise of Critical Theory...
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Prof. Eric Heinze, author and academic @ericheinze.bsky.social · 26/05/2025
This coming Wednesday evening 28 May online: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/coming-cle...
eventbrite.co.uk
‘Coming Clean: The Rise of Critical Theory and the Future of the Left’
Eric Heinze will launch his new book and discuss what message it has for Jews and Israel.
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