The Athenian Circle: Jonathan Turley’s Blueprint for a Free Speech Renaissance on Campus

Harrington Shaw | UNC AFSA

In The Indispensable Right, Jonathan Turley critiques universities for trading open inquiry for censorship and proposes the "Athenian Circle"—a vision inspired by Plato and John Stuart Mill, where campuses become sanctuaries for free thought through protected individual autonomy. He suggests tying federal funding to rules that expel violent disruptors, eliminate "free speech zones," and focus discipline on actions, not speech, to rebuild a true marketplace of ideas.