What does it take to speak candidly when honesty carries real consequences? And how should leaders respond when someone takes their promise of openness seriously?
Cornell President Michael I. Kotlikoff and Professor Mike Fontaine will explore those questions in an online discussion Tuesday, Oct. 6, from 1 to 2 p.m. EDT. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
The discussion opens this academic year’s event series for Cornell’s Program on Freedom and Free Societies. Titled “How to Speak Freely: Ancient Wisdom for Candid Conversations and Courageous Leadership,” the interactive eCornell Keynote will draw on Fontaine’s new book, "How to Speak Freely: An Ancient Guide to Free Speech and Dissent" (Princeton University Press). Kotlikoff will moderate the conversation, which will include questions from the online audience.
Fontaine’s book pairs two sharply contrasting ancient works. In Plato’s Apology, Socrates defends his duty to question authority, think independently, and speak according to his conscience — even at the cost of his life. In Lucian’s satirical dialogue The Gods in Council, the ruler of the gods promises an open discussion with a grand guarantee of free speech, only to discover how difficult it is to tolerate a subordinate who takes that guarantee seriously.
“Popular speech needs no protection,” said Fontaine, professor of classics in the College of Arts and Sciences. “Why would it? The real test of a commitment to free speech comes when the message is unwelcome or offensive—especially when the person delivering it is unpopular or obnoxious. Socrates asks us to consider what courage and conscience require of a speaker, while Lucian flips the script and asks whether leaders who praise candor can actually tolerate it when it becomes uncomfortable or embarrassing. Together, these two works feel uncannily timely.”
The conversation will consider why Socrates regarded pointed questioning as a duty rather than merely a right; how leaders today can encourage dissent without surrendering authority or organizational cohesion; and why institutional commitments to free speech are often tested by difficult messages and unpopular messengers.
Fontaine is director of Cornell’s Program on Freedom and Free Societies. His previous books include "How to Tell a Joke: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Humor," "How to Have Willpower" and "How to Drink." He has also served as acting dean of the faculty, associate dean of faculty and associate vice provost for undergraduate education.
The event is presented by eCornell and co-sponsored by the Program on Freedom and Free Societies.
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