Fired up over academic freedom 2

In support of his view that academic freedom must be tempered, Bob Brecher cites John Stuart Mill's argument that it is not permissible to "shout 'fire' in a crowded theatre". (Working Knowledge, August 25). He is wide of the mark.

The wrongness of the action has nothing to do with the exercise of freedom of speech: the expression of thoughts and opinions. To shout "fire" is to issue a command or a warning.

It will often be morally wrong and illegal to set off a fire alarm in a crowded theatre if one does not think that the building is ablaze. But if one believes that the theatre is on fire, it is hardly immoral to shout "fire" or to sound the fire alarm, even if it turns out that the building is not on fire.

In some circumstances, it would be immoral and it might also be illegal not to shout "fire" if one thought that the theatre was on fire, how-ever, one is unlikely to be charged with a crime for failing to shout "fire".

In so far as it is unrelated to the raising of an alarm, uttering the word "fire" in a crowded theatre is neither immoral nor illegal. Hence, this example of Mill's has little bearing on freedom of expression or academic freedom debates.

Hugh V. McLachlan
Glasgow Caledonian University