Lecture, Barnard's Inn Hall, Thursday, 26 Feb 2026 - 18:00

That's Not Funny: The Ethics of Satire

Elephant trying to roll ball colours with USA flag off cliff while donkey tries to stop him

It used to be taken for granted that satire uses nasty means to good ends: it ridicules its targets in order to bring about reform. However, in recent years, the role of satire has been challenged and satirists themselves have quite literally come under attack. Some shocking incidents have prompted serious debate about the relations between free speech and hate speech. This lecture will consider the rights and wrongs of satire in a historical context and in the light of our present situation.

 Professor Judith Hawley

Professor Judith Hawley

Judith Hawley is Professor Emerita of Eighteenth-Century Literature in the Department of English, Royal Holloway, University of London.

As well as publishing essays on...

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