This week, The New School in New York City will be hosting a conference, on “Limiting Knowledge in a Democracy,” which will assess where America is today with respect to limits on our access to information. The two-day conference will explore the issues of citizens’ right to free public information, the ways in which the government and other political organizations restrict or manipulate the flow of information, and the importance of investigative journalism in upholding democracy and calling for accountability.
The ACLU’s National Security Project Director, Jameel Jaffer, will participate in a session on “Arguments for and Against Limits on Knowledge in a Democracy” to discuss the disadvantages of limits on knowledge. The session, which takes place on Thursday, February 25, 2010 from 2:15 pm – 5:00 pm, will be moderated by David Z. Albert, Professor of Philosophy at Columbia University and will include panelists Philip Kitcher, Professor of Philosophy and Director of Undergraduate Studies at Columbia College, and Julie E. Cohen, Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center.
Jameel will also introduce a 6:00 pm screening of Secrecy, a film by Peter Galison and Robb Moss. As you may recall from the ACLU’s past collaboration with the filmmakers, Secrecy explores open knowledge, government secrets and the tension between our safety as a nation, and our ability to function as a democracy.
More information about the conference agenda and details on how to buy tickets (including a special discount for ACLU members) are available online.
