The Significance Of Areopagitica And Its Place In United States History

Areopagitica and its place in United States History
Areopagitica, by John Milton, was a speech designed and written to denounce the use of licensure and decry the suppression of free speech and the press. Essentially, this document set the stage for modern laws regarding free speech and freedom of the press in the United States, making this document one of the penultimate articles in terms of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. The First Amendment allows for freedom of both speech and of the press, among other things, and these freedoms are fiercely defended by Milton. However, in order to truly understand both the significance of Areopagitica and its relevance to the First Amendment, it is necessary to compare and contrast
However, one aspect of the First Amendment that was contradictory to Milton’s view is the establishments of freedom of religion and the freedom of speech. Milton believed that much of the stifling of freedoms, especially in regards to the press, stemmed from religion, and while he was in favor of freedom for all, he was cautious of the role that religion would play in pursuing these freedoms. Nevertheless, many of the clauses put in place for the First Amendment regard the ability of the citizens of the United States to speak their minds about any subject, regardless of topic, although it has been updated and certain limitations have been put in place since its inception. One of the most notable inclusions is that the First Amendment allows for speech that is critical of government and its officials to be freely expressed; a sentiment that Milton would have most likely
While Milton himself did not adhere to that philosophy specifically, he did place a great deal of trust within citizens to exercise their given rights in a responsible way. In many ways, the First Amendment is a reflection of this sentiment, as it provides citizens with rights that allow them to express themselves more freely as long as they are not infringing upon the rights of others. This makes the First Amendment a symbol of recognition by the government of the power that the average citizen possesses. This is a profound commonality that shows how Areopagitica and the First Amendment are related: recognition of the power and basic human rights of every man, woman and child. This basic concept is stressed a great deal by Milton himself in his prose, as he states that the stifling of basic rights is "...a dishonor and derogation to the author, to the book, to the privilege and dignity of learning" (Milton 99). Therefore, the issue that Milton is expressing here is one of ethics, rather than legality. He believes that people should be treated with a certain level of respect and dignity, and the First Amendment both acknowledges this and takes the first steps to achieving this unalienable