The Truth Justification for Freedom of Speech

This chapter investigates the complexities of the truth justification for freedom of speech. According to this rationale, protecting freedom of speech creates a marketplace of ideas in which truth ultimately prevails over falsity. Speech therefore must not be restricted because to do so would inhibit this search for truth. The chapter then presents brief accounts of how the truth justification developed, how it has been applied in United States First Amendment jurisprudence, and how it has been accepted in legal systems outside the United States. It also explores the reasons that have been advanced in defence of the truth justification and the attacks that have been raised against its validity. Finally, the chapter discusses another possible explanation in support of the truth justification—that the search for truth provides a valuable narrative for human existence even if the goal of discovering truth is unlikely to be realized.