[5][6] Redish supports an "autonomy theory" of free speech, taking the view that the First Amendment protects speech in order to advance individuals' interest in the self-realization that they obtain by being able to speak without government interference.
[7][8][9] According to Redish, all of the other values attached to free speech, such as the advancement of liberal democracy, necessarily depend on the concept of individual self-realization.
[10] This view contrasts with that of scholars such as Alexander Meiklejohn, who advocate a theory of the First Amendment based on the importance of democratic self-governance, and of scholars who subscribe to the theory that the First Amendment exists to promote the marketplace of ideas.
[8] Redish has spent his entire academic career at Northwestern University, where he has been a faculty member since 1973.
[3][2][1] Before entering academia, he briefly practiced law in New York.