Banned Books
SUMMARY
Content
Week 1................................................................................................................... 2
Historical background ......................................................................................... 2
Warburton .......................................................................................................... 2
Freshwater.......................................................................................................... 5
Week 2................................................................................................................... 7
Historical background ......................................................................................... 7
Creasman ............................................................................................................ 9
Erasmus ............................................................................................................ 11
Week 3................................................................................................................. 11
Historical background ....................................................................................... 12
J. Van Eijnatten ................................................................................................. 13
Coornhert ......................................................................................................... 16
Spinoza ............................................................................................................. 16
Milton ............................................................................................................... 17
Week 4................................................................................................................. 17
Historical Background ....................................................................................... 17
Burrows ............................................................................................................ 20
Voltaire ............................................................................................................. 20
, 2
Week 1
INTRODUCTION OF THE T HEME BANNED BOOKS
Literature:
• Warburton - Free speech
• Freshwater - Towards a Redefinition of Censorship
Historical background
Censorship can be defined in many ways. These definitions can be brought under two categories:
1. The narrow definition:
Prohibiting, changing or destroying ideas in printed or audio-visual form, that are considered
immoral, subversive or secret by the authorities.
2. Broad definition:
The suppression of speech, public communication, or other information that may be considered
objectionable, harmful, sensitive, politically incorrect of inconvenient as determined by
governments, media outlets, authorities or other groups or institutions (Wiki).
Underneath the broad definition of censorship also belongs:
o The process of suppression
o Self-censorship
o Moral pressure
These are examples of informal censorship. Informal censorship cover all the forms of
censorship which are not performed by official parties, like communities or self-censorship.
Formal censorship on the other hand is performed by official parties, like the government or the
police.
Censorship can be proceeded in two ways:
1. Preventive censorship = censoring something, or someone before the expression or publication.
2. Repressive censorship = censoring something, or someone after the expression or publication.
There are four forms of censorship:
1. Political censorship
2. Social censorship
3. Sexual censorship
4. Religious censorship
Warburton
FREE SPEECH
Chapter 1
THEORIES
A Summary by Marit Kamp ©
, 3
The meaning of ‘free’
Philosopher Isaiah Berlin distinguished two concepts of freedom: negative and positive freedom.
- Negative freedom = The absence of obstacles, barriers and constraints.
- Positive freedom = Having control over one’s life and realize one’s fundamental purposes.
Warbuton focuses on the first one in this book.
Though, completely “being free” is almost never an option. Liberty has its boundaries. Liberty should not
be confused with licence.
Arguments for free speech
Broadly, there are two kinds of arguments that are used to defend free speech:
1. Instrumental arguments.
These rely on the claim that preserving free speech produces benefits of some kind.
2. Moral arguments.
These rely on a broad range of arguments like what it is to be a person to the importance of
someone’s autonomy.
Chapter 2
STUART MILL
One book continues to dominate the debate about free speech: John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty. Mill
Defends in his work the view that extensive freedom of speech is a precondition not just for individual
happiness, but for a flourishing society. Preserving freedom of speech gives space to the truth.
Central in Mill’s work is his ‘harm principle’, the idea that individual adults should be free to do
whatever they wish up to the point where they harm another person in the process. He also thought
that people should have the freedom to make mistakes.
Mill’s arguments
1) The Infallibility argument
Anyone who silences someone else because they believe the other person’s opinion is false
assumes infallibility. Though, the state of certainty in no way guarantees the truth.
2) The dead dogma argument
Even if someone believes your opinion, and you’re highly confident about the truth, it still will
be a dead dogma. You need to be able to find counter-arguments to your position to make it
alive, to make it the truth.
3) The partly true argument
There may be elements of truth within a largely false position.
Warbuton himself suggests another argument: ‘No platform argument’. He thinks we should give
people a platform with whom we strongly disagree. People who disagree are not completing censorsing
someone. They just don’t give them an opportunity at their place to express themselves.
A Summary by Marit Kamp ©
SUMMARY
Content
Week 1................................................................................................................... 2
Historical background ......................................................................................... 2
Warburton .......................................................................................................... 2
Freshwater.......................................................................................................... 5
Week 2................................................................................................................... 7
Historical background ......................................................................................... 7
Creasman ............................................................................................................ 9
Erasmus ............................................................................................................ 11
Week 3................................................................................................................. 11
Historical background ....................................................................................... 12
J. Van Eijnatten ................................................................................................. 13
Coornhert ......................................................................................................... 16
Spinoza ............................................................................................................. 16
Milton ............................................................................................................... 17
Week 4................................................................................................................. 17
Historical Background ....................................................................................... 17
Burrows ............................................................................................................ 20
Voltaire ............................................................................................................. 20
, 2
Week 1
INTRODUCTION OF THE T HEME BANNED BOOKS
Literature:
• Warburton - Free speech
• Freshwater - Towards a Redefinition of Censorship
Historical background
Censorship can be defined in many ways. These definitions can be brought under two categories:
1. The narrow definition:
Prohibiting, changing or destroying ideas in printed or audio-visual form, that are considered
immoral, subversive or secret by the authorities.
2. Broad definition:
The suppression of speech, public communication, or other information that may be considered
objectionable, harmful, sensitive, politically incorrect of inconvenient as determined by
governments, media outlets, authorities or other groups or institutions (Wiki).
Underneath the broad definition of censorship also belongs:
o The process of suppression
o Self-censorship
o Moral pressure
These are examples of informal censorship. Informal censorship cover all the forms of
censorship which are not performed by official parties, like communities or self-censorship.
Formal censorship on the other hand is performed by official parties, like the government or the
police.
Censorship can be proceeded in two ways:
1. Preventive censorship = censoring something, or someone before the expression or publication.
2. Repressive censorship = censoring something, or someone after the expression or publication.
There are four forms of censorship:
1. Political censorship
2. Social censorship
3. Sexual censorship
4. Religious censorship
Warburton
FREE SPEECH
Chapter 1
THEORIES
A Summary by Marit Kamp ©
, 3
The meaning of ‘free’
Philosopher Isaiah Berlin distinguished two concepts of freedom: negative and positive freedom.
- Negative freedom = The absence of obstacles, barriers and constraints.
- Positive freedom = Having control over one’s life and realize one’s fundamental purposes.
Warbuton focuses on the first one in this book.
Though, completely “being free” is almost never an option. Liberty has its boundaries. Liberty should not
be confused with licence.
Arguments for free speech
Broadly, there are two kinds of arguments that are used to defend free speech:
1. Instrumental arguments.
These rely on the claim that preserving free speech produces benefits of some kind.
2. Moral arguments.
These rely on a broad range of arguments like what it is to be a person to the importance of
someone’s autonomy.
Chapter 2
STUART MILL
One book continues to dominate the debate about free speech: John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty. Mill
Defends in his work the view that extensive freedom of speech is a precondition not just for individual
happiness, but for a flourishing society. Preserving freedom of speech gives space to the truth.
Central in Mill’s work is his ‘harm principle’, the idea that individual adults should be free to do
whatever they wish up to the point where they harm another person in the process. He also thought
that people should have the freedom to make mistakes.
Mill’s arguments
1) The Infallibility argument
Anyone who silences someone else because they believe the other person’s opinion is false
assumes infallibility. Though, the state of certainty in no way guarantees the truth.
2) The dead dogma argument
Even if someone believes your opinion, and you’re highly confident about the truth, it still will
be a dead dogma. You need to be able to find counter-arguments to your position to make it
alive, to make it the truth.
3) The partly true argument
There may be elements of truth within a largely false position.
Warbuton himself suggests another argument: ‘No platform argument’. He thinks we should give
people a platform with whom we strongly disagree. People who disagree are not completing censorsing
someone. They just don’t give them an opportunity at their place to express themselves.
A Summary by Marit Kamp ©
