How to speak freely examined in eCornell event Oct. 6

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.

"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."

Read the full story on the College of Arts and Sciences website.