Ep. 234: The Chicago Canon

The University of Chicago is known for its commitment to free
speech and academic freedom. Why are these values important to
the university? Where do they originate? And how do they help
administrators navigate conflicts and controversies?


Tony Banout and Tom Ginsburg direct the University of Chicago’s
Forum for Free Inquiry and Expression, which received a $100
million gift last year. They are also editors of “The Chicago
Canon on Free Inquiry and Expression,” a new book that collects
foundational texts that inform the university’s free speech
tradition.


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Read the transcript.


Timestamps: 


00:00 Intro


03:31 Origin of book


07:14 UChicago’s founding principles


12:41 Free speech in a university context


19:17 2015 UChicago committee report


32:03 1967 Kalven report


38:02 Institutional neutrality


57:41 Applying free speech principles beyond the university


01:04:21 Future steps for the Forum


01:06:35 Outro


Show notes:


- The University of Chicago’s Report of the Committee on Freedom
of Expression (2015)


- Chicago Statement: University and Faculty Body Support (last
updated 2024)


- The University of Chicago Kalven Report (1967)