Freedom of speech protects speech that is, for example, offensive.  But having the right to offend does not give anyone a reason to offend others.   How we should speak is a matter for the norms that govern speaking, not the norms that govern responses to speaking.  It is a matter of what it is right to do, not a matter of what rights we have.  So: what norms should govern us in speaking?  Most Western traditions give little attention to this, apart from the prohibition on lying.  Classical Buddhist thought, in contrast, offers a well-developed doctrine of ‘right speech’.  In this Lecture, Professor Green will explore that doctrine, give it a partial defense, and suggest ways that right speech can and should be supported while remaining faithful to the principles of free speech.