Introduction
Freedom of speech refers to the freedom to speak one’s mind without any censorship (Barendt 5). This freedom is part of the basic human rights. Freedom of speech signifies the existence of liberty in a free society. As a fundamental right, the freedom of speech is recognized by international rights law and throughout the world, there is enormous advocacy for this right to be effected across all sections of the society (Barendt 10). Unfortunately, freedom of speech is not usually absolute and in fact, many countries have placed limitations on it. Governments and authorities have enacted rules and policies that dictate what people can and cannot say or what people are allowed to communicate.
One of the greatest gifts that humans have been provided with is the ability to express and share ideas and messages with one another. This ability has enabled humans to conquer the earth. However, in the course of human history, it has been increasingly realized that the unlimited freedom to express one's ideas and share them with others has potential repercussions. First of all, this freedom is a threat to social order (Barendt 23). This is especially in regards to governments. As humans began to interact with one other, they realized that governments were required for the maintenance of law and order in the society. Governments soon realized that some of the expressions put forward by individuals had the ability not only to destabilize the governments themselves, but also destabilize the society leading to social chaos. Many governments throughout the world, therefore, came up with rules and policies that were meant to curtail what people could say and express to each other (Barendt 24).
However, it has been argued that placing limitations on what people can share and express to each there interferes with democracy. Democracy is a form of rule where the real power is in the society’s hand and where members have the ability to express how they should be governed and who should govern them (Massaro and Stryker 375). Freedom of speech is one of the tools that enables the actualization of democracy. Freedom of speech not only helps the members of the society to share their beliefs and ideas amongst themselves but also enables them to hold those who are in power accountable. It enables the society members to make it known when they feel that their rights are being violated. Freedom of speech enables the society to fault authorities and demand for immediate change or action (Harris 153).
Freedom of speech also enables the passage of relevant knowledge among society members. Through free speech, some members the public or society who may not be conversant with aspects of society or authority become aware through their compatriots (Massaro and Stryker 375). By passing knowledge, the level of participation by society members in government increases.
In addition, freedom of speech in the modern world enhances equality. For instance, those in the society who feel marginalized and abandoned can express their feelings and demand for immediate action (Massaro and Stryker 375). The government is able to create a stable nation when individuals voice their concerns, for example, about mistreatments from other society members, therefore, prompting immediate action.
Freedom of speech also facilitates critical thinking. When people realize that they are free to express themselves and their ideas, their critical thinking and innovation skills are accentuated.
At the same time however, it must be realized that as much as freedom of speech is an essential human right, there are some who abuse this right in order to advance their own personal agendas (Massaro and Stryker 375). Some elements of speech may have negative intentions rather than positive ones. One common example is defamation. Defamation involves using speech to discredit other people and falsely accuse them of unethical actions in order to damage their reputation. Another abuse of the freedom of speech is slander which is also the use of speech to damage another person’s reputation in the society (Massaro and Stryker 375).
It is because of this abuse that governments censors the freedom of speech. Since governments are charged with the role of maintaining social order, it is their primary obligation to put in place policies and rules that govern the abuse of freedom of speech (Harris 153).
However, the rules and laws should only apply to cases where the freedom of speech is abused. Some governments have been notorious for putting censorships an almost all aspects of public speech. Many governments particularly do not condone any form of criticism whether positive or not. This is obviously an abuse of democracy and it such governments that John Locke suggests to be eliminated with immediate effect and replaced with new ones (Barendt 48).
The United States constitution reiterates the importance of freedom of speech through the first amendment that gives people the freedom to express themselves without any form of government interference (Barendt 49).
In conclusion, freedom of speech is key to development of the society. It is a basic right that every member of the society must enjoy. At the same time, however, it is crucial that a balance is found between this freedom and partial censorship in order to prevent the abuse of this freedom and therefore maintain social order.
Works Cited
Barendt, Eric. Freedom of speech. Oxford University Press, 2005.
Massaro, Toni M., and Robin Stryker. "Freedom of Speech, Liberal Democracy, and Emerging Evidence on Civility and Effective Democratic Engagement."Ariz. L. Rev. 54 (2012): 375.
Harris, Roy. "On freedom of speech." Ideologies of Language (RLE Linguistics A: General Linguistics) (2014): 153.
