Fostering open, respectful debate across the university, hosting diverse speakers and events to sharpen critical thinking and defend academic freedom.
The Cambridge University Free Speech Society exists to recultivate the conditions under which the university can fulfil its proper mission: the open contestation of ideas in pursuit of truth. We believe free speech is not merely a right but a principle that must exist beyond the control of any authority—the condition through which power remains contestable and independent thought is made possible.
For an in-depth exploration of who we are and what we do, please visit our founding prospectus below.
Who We Are
About Us
Our Objectives
1. Create a space for rigorous intellectual contestation where no idea remains beyond challenge or criticism;
2. Ensure the university remains a place where debate remains open and independent thinking is actively cultivated;
3. Build constitutional safeguards that prevent ideological capture and protect free speech as an entrenched principle.
Our Principles
1.Free Speech
Free speech is a principle existing beyond any authority's control, the condition through which power remains contestable and independent thought is made possible.
2.Anti-Dogma
Wherever orthodoxy silences dissent, we answer with more speech, never less, binding ourselves constitutionally to challenge any viewpoint that seeks insulation from criticism.
Activities
Speakers
Visiting speakers four times a term.
The Symposium
A student-led reading and discussion group.
Student Journal
Our open publication accepting submissions.