Undoubtedly, freedom of expression belongs to the most celebrated liberal principles. One cannot imagine a well-functioning democracy where rights to free speech, free press and free exercise of religion are not recognized and respected by the government. In contemporary debate upholding freedom of expression is regarded as a condition of a pursuit of truth, a requirement of democratic legitimacy, as well as a condition of individual well-being and human flourishing.

Nevertheless, apart from its wide approval, freedom of expression constitutes a source of deep ongoing disagreements. The exact content and scope of this principle remains a subject of debates among academic scholars, law practitioners, politicians, activists and ordinary citizens. Issues such as social media regulation, the justifiability of hate speech laws, the extent of academic freedom, the boundaries of religious speech, and criminalization of fake news are definitely among the most contentious and polarizing topics in contemporary public debates.

The significance of freedom of expression and its contestability, taken together, make this principle an excellent subject for summer school classes. Our summer school provides an unique opportunity to discuss different aspects of freedom of expression with distinguished scholars from Italy, Poland, the United States and the United Kingdom. The programme includes classes dedicated both to general and more particular aspects of the problem. The summer school is addressed mainly to PhD students in law, philosophy, and humanities.