Freedom of Expression and Human Rights: Historical, Literary and Political Contexts - Hardcover

Liam Gearon

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1845191587 ISBN 13: 9781845191580

Publisher: Liverpool University Press, 2006

Synopsis

Provides a critical and contentious overview of the fundamental relationship between writing and political dissent from early Greek democracy to post-Enlightenment forms of totalitarianism, such as Communism, Fascism and Nazism and through to modern forms of liberal democracy based upon universal human rights encapsulated by the UNs Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Complementing such historical contexts, this book explores the range of predominantly theological and religious, civil and political, social and cultural rationales for contemporary repression, contending that in the modern age at least freedom of expression issues are deeply affected not only by national law but that factors of a transnational (ideological or theological) nature. Finally -- through a review key inter-governmental and non-governmental (NGO) agencies -- the book examines current geo-political trends in the denial of freedom of expression, highlighting post-Cold War and post-September 11 shifts in political and religious repression, a movement in the locale of freedom of expression issues (especially towards electronic forms and Internet) and a heightening of global and transnational dimensions in freedom of expression. The book provides also a substantial series of appendices for scholars, researchers and activists interested in furthering investigation of issues in writing and human rights. A companion volume to "Human Rights & Religion", the book provides appendices for all those activists interested in furthering investigation of issues in writing and human rights.

About this title

Review:

"I write this Foreword as the current President of English PEN. As Dr. Gearon notes, this organisation has played a significant role in campaigning in the UK against the Government's proposals to make the incitement of religious hatred an offence...Would that we had had this book to help us, with its calm and assured discussion of the history that lies behind our prevailing anxiety today." --Alastair Niven

About the Author:

Liam Gearon is reader in the Faculty of Education at the University of Surrey Roehampton, London, where he was previously senior lecturer. He has published widely in the fields of religion and literature, including the critically acclaimed edited work, "English Literature, Theology and the Curriculum", which is highly regarded as one of the major texts in this field and has a substantial chapter on Brian Moore. He lives in Somerset in the United Kingdom.

About this edition

• Publisher: Liverpool University Press
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1845191587
• ISBN 13: 9781845191580
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 230