ABSTRACT
In John McCloskey book Practical Ethics Singer argues that human beings as such have no right to life and one or two critics claim that he deliberately or accidentally suppressed this and related aspects of his philosophy in his account of the protests. But there remains a question about these protests which to the author mind has not received enough discussion, namely, the question of freedom of expression; for Singer claims that he was a victim, the victim of people opposed to the principle of free speech. Some states, some governments, recognise that saying ‘shut up’ can on occasion be a legitimate exercise of the citizens’ right of free speech. In Britain, for instance, there is a strong tradition of non-violent protest which expresses itself, and is allowed to express itself, in marches, meetings, demonstrations, pickets, yelling at public speakers, and so on. In order to avoid verbal quibbles let agree to interpret the expression ‘public platform’ fairly broadly.
