Terms of Respect: How Colleges Get Free Speech Right

“It is a book of calm reflection trying to address an inflammatory age. In his tone, his arguments, and his narrative evenhandedness, Eisgruber comes off as the adult in the room. A reasoned, quiet argument for civil discourse in an unreasonable, loud time.”―Kirkus

“Chris Eisgruber is one of the nation’s great university leaders of our time. If you have ever wished for a wise and humane inquiry into the complex issues involving the role of universities, the meaning of freedom of speech, and the creation of our civic culture, this book is your answer. It is brilliant and engaging, and so profoundly important to read at this moment.”―Lee Bollinger, former President of Columbia University

“Chris Eisgruber is the most important voice in higher education at this crucial moment. His intelligence, moral clarity, and pragmatism shine through every page of this book. Eisgruber dismantles the conventional wisdom that speech and inclusivity are at odds. In doing so, he offers a realistic, clear-eyed view of college campuses that will force his readers to think hard about their own assumptions—exactly what a true educator should do.”―Heather Gerken, Dean of Yale Law School

“In Terms of Respect, Christopher L. Eisgruber deftly unravels the specious dichotomy between free expression and equality. Drawing on his dual experience as a constitutional scholar and university president, he reveals how America’s commitment to robust free speech emerged from the civil-rights movement itself. As our democracy faces unprecedented polarization and our discourse splinters across digital platforms, Eisgruber offers a timely meditation on how universities might model the deliberative community our republic so desperately needs. The health of our civic life, he argues, depends on cultivating both the courage to speak boldly and the wisdom to listen across our deepest differences.”―Anthony Appiah, Silver Professor of Philosophy and Law, NYU

“In Terms of Respect, Princeton President Chris Eisgruber offers an extraordinary analysis of the current challenges to free speech and academic freedom on university campuses. In this remarkable work, Eisgruber explains the reasons for those challenges, explores the extent to which they do—and do not—seriously threaten the most fundamental values of our universities, and offers insightful advice about how universities should—and should not—address those challenges going forward. Anyone interested in the divisive and controversial issues triggered by the threatening actions of the Trump administration, the controversies over the Israel/Palestine conflict, and the often divisive impact of social media on learning and openness to free and respectful argument and disagreement should read this brilliant book. It is, truly, both inspiring and eye-opening.”―Geoffrey R. Stone, Edward H. Levi Distinguished Professor of Law, University of Chicago