We use cookies to make your experience better. By continuing to browse our site you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Learn more.
There's No Such Thing as Free Speech by Stanley Eugene Fish
£20.99
Out of stock
Product Ref. (e.g. ISBN, SKU)
9780195093834
Published:
30 Mar 1995
Format:
Paperback
Number of pages:
332 pages
Dimensions:
214x141x22.6mm
Weight:
0.467kgs
Author:
There's No Such Thing As Free Speech collects distinguished academic Stanley Fish's most important recent investigations of issues in literary and legal theory, focusing mainly on the "PC" controversy and arguments relating to it. Offering shrewd and often provocative insights in matters ranging from politics and education to literature and culture, Fish brings the intuition of a pre-eminent literary scholar and the experience of a legal pundit to bear upon the concerns that have so viscerally and visibly piqued the mind of America in recent years.
"I appear before you," writes Stanley Fish, "by virtue of a mistake made by central casting which has tapped me for the role of ardent academic leftist, proponent of multiculturalism, and standard bearer of the politically correct." Indeed, as head of Duke University's English Department, Fish has drawn fire for supposedly championing campus speech codes (he does not, in fact); for his embrace of deconstruction (he would call himself a pragmatist), and for being a "professor who revels in his affluence" (as one journalist wrote)--despite his own status as a white male and a leading scholar in the traditional field of Renaissance literature. But as Adam Begley wrote in The New York Times Sunday Magazine, Fish is "the epitome of he academic as showman," a professor of both English and law who is "willfully provocative, politically conservative."
In There's No Such Thing as Free Speech, Fish shows what all the fuss is about, with seventeen of his pivotal, provocative writings. Fish ranges across reverse discrimination, the First Amendment and hate speech codes, the nature of the law, and the state of the academy, lending his distinctive, insistent voice to the debate with sharply drawn and closely argued opinions. He goes straight to the core of America's orthodox platitudes, arguing that such liberal stand-bys as free speech, tolerance, equality, and nondiscrimination are meaningless in themselves; these concepts only exist in the context of the political views of those who invoke them (the assault on civil rights, he notes, has advanced under the David Duke banner "Equal Rights for All; Special Privileges for None"). Throughout, Fish applies techniques of literary criticism to the political debate, forcing us to examine the basis of our most sacrosanct principles. In the title essay, Fish writes that the First Amendment is "the first refuge of scoundrels." The concept of "free speech" always exists only in reference to speech which is banned in advance because it undermines the basis of a community; it takes a political struggle to decide where to draw the boundary of tolerance--and he finds good reason to put "hate speech beyond the pale. If left-leaning readers take comfort from such arguments, they will be discomforted in the second part of the book when Fish turns his searing critical attention to some of their cherished ideals and programs (including the expansion of tolerance and the politicization of humanistic studies). He concludes his critique of the academy by mocking the masochistic consumption of Volvos by affluent professors.
Perhaps no other scholar in America has earned the notoriety achieved by Stanley Fish--notoriety he seems compelled to justify, relentlessly critiquing the values so many take for granted. This remarkable volume captures the essential Fish, with eloquent, witty, argumentative essays that are impossible to ignore.
| Number of pages | 332 |
|---|
We will despatch your order as quickly as we can. If, for whatever reason, a product is out of stock we will contact you to discuss the likely delivery time or an alternative product.
| First Item | 2 Items & Over | |
|---|---|---|
| UK | £3.75 | £5.00 |
| EU | £15.00 | £30.00 |
| USA & Canada | £30.00 | £50.00 |
| Rest of the World | £45.00 | £60.00 |
| Collect in Store | free | free |
Additional Delivery Information (and some really important bits):
UK Delivery
Orders for delivery in the UK are normally despatched by Royal Mail, using the RM 48 Tracked Service with most orders delivered to you within a few days of placing your order with us. For larger parcels, Courier and Signed For delivery services may be used. Signed Books are shipped in our specially made book mailing cartons, with the books themselves wrapped in paper to protect them. Sometimes we may ship your order in several parts, particularly if you have 'Pre-Order' titles in your order or titles which are held in stock with our publishing partners.
The Really Important Bit: Because we use tracked, courier and signed for delivery services, please use an address at which your parcel can be received during the normal working day, for example, you may want to have your order delivered to your work address if you're not at home during the day.
First Item @ £3.75 (sometimes a shipping supplement may be added for particularly heavy books or specific postcodes*)
2 Items & over @ £5.00 in total
Another Really Important Bit: There are a number of Postcodes in the UK for which we will need to charge a shipping supplement, this will be calculated once we know the size and weight of the shipment. For these orders we will contact customers to agree a suitable and economic method of shipping. There may also be additional time required for delivery to some areas of the United Kingdom. Where possible, we will ship book orders (under 2kg) by Royal Mail to all UK postcodes. Large multiple book orders and books over 2kg are often shipped via APC Overnight or similar, regardless of Postcode.
Overseas Delivery
Shipments to EU countries:
First Item @ £15.00 (sometimes a shipping supplement will be added for particularly heavy books)
2 Items & over @ £30.00 in total
A really, really important Brexit bit: From 1st January 2021 shipments to EU addresses may incur additional costs which could be requested by Fed Ex at the time of delivery. These costs may vary from country to country and are not within our control and will be in addition to the costs paid to us for your delivery. If in any doubt, please check with your local Fed Ex office what, if any, additional costs will be applicable to your order - https://www.fedex.com
From 1st July 2021, VAT will be applicable to those EU countries where VAT is applied to books - this additional charge will be collected by Fed Ex (or the Royal Mail) at the time of delivery.
Shipments to the USA & Canada:
First Item @ £30.00
2 Items & over @ £50.00 in total
Shipments to the Rest of the World:
First Item @ £45.00
2 Items & over @ £60.00 in total
All overseas orders are shipped using a 'signed for' courier service - please provide an address at which your parcel can be signed for on receipt. We use the same packaging materials for our overseas deliveries as we do those in the UK. In some cases, particularly large and heavy books, or books being shipped to remote areas, may incur an additional shipping charge - if this is the case with your order, we'll notify you as quickly as possible of these charges and to arrange the additional payment. You can of course cancel your order with an immediate refund should you not wish to accept these additional costs. Shipments to overseas territories may incur additional Duty & Tax costs which could be requested by Fed Ex at the time of delivery. These costs may vary from country to country and are not within our control and will be in addition to the costs paid to us for your delivery. If in any doubt, please check with your local Fed Ex office what, if any, additional Tax & Duty costs will be applicable to your order - https://www.fedex.com
Collect in Person at Coles Books
We're open Monday - Saturday, 9:00am - 5:30pm. If you're collecting your order, please wait until you get the text, phone call or email from us, just to be on the safe side and to ensure we have your order ready for you on arrival (we'll use the contact information provided during checkout). Not everything on our website is available for immediate collection, please do wait for the text, call or email - if time is of the essence, we'd suggest you call us on 01869 320779 and check availability prior to placing your order. You can pick up your order from the till, please bring a copy of your email receipt (electronic or printed is fine).
Coming by Car
If you're coming to Coles by car, why not take advantage of the 2 hours free parking at Sainsbury's Pioneer Square - just follow the signs for Pioneer Square as you drive into Bicester and park in the multi-storey car park above the supermarket. Come down the travelators, exit Sainsbury's, turn right and follow the pedestrianised walkway to Crown Walk and turn right - and Coles will be right in front of you. You don't need to shop in Sainsbury's to get the free parking!
Where to Find Us
Coles Books
22 Crown Walk
Pioneer Square
Bicester, Oxfordshire
OX26 6HY, United Kingdom
It was the most impressive packaging that I have EVER SEEN!!! The books were in perfect condition!!!!!
Super fast delivery and well packaged. Quality item and service!