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Free Speech
Book

Free Speech

A History from Socrates to Social Media

Basic Books, 2022
First Edition: 2022 更多详情


Editorial Rating

9

Qualities

  • Analytical
  • Applicable
  • Eloquent

Recommendation

Freedom of speech has nurtured democracy since ancient Athens, though rulers and some religions suppressed it for centuries. The Reformation and the printing press made free speech almost impossible to restrain, explains author and podcaster Jacob Mchangama, the founder and executive director of the Future of Free Speech Project. With the 1700s French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, and the ratification of the US Constitution’s First Amendment, freedom of speech and the press became intrinsic to Western democracy. However, autocrats suppress these freedoms, and technology challenges them. As the author explains, people and governments must treasure free speech and use it with care.

Take-Aways

  • The ancient Athenians promoted democracy and free speech.
  • The printing press – and Martin Luther’s Reformation – opened new possibilities for free speech.
  • The Dutch Republic in the 16th century nurtured freedom of speech and of conscience.

About the Author

Jacob Mchangama is the founder and executive director of the Future of Free Speech Project. He hosts the podcast Clear and Present Danger: A History of Free Speech.


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