We spent Friday talking about the Renaissance, Humanism, and the idea of Reason. Areopagitica was a speech delivered to the English Parliament arguing against the practice of requiring books to obtain a license before publication. The speech was a failure. Parliament refused to revoke the censorship Order against which Milton argued. Sometimes ideas appear before their time. Our Constitutional guarantee of Freedom of Speech, so precious in preserving democratic principles, was shaped by the arguments Milton used. By the 18th century, colleges in the United States had copies of Areopagitica in their libraries. By the 19th century, courses in rhetoric, history, and philosophy required the study of it. Students still tackle this essay in our day, because no other text presents as passionate a defense of the ideals of a liberal education and the role of freedom of inquiry. A quick search of the Internet will reveal how important the academic community considers this document. Perhaps a dozen or more web sites reproduce it in its intirety, and many, many more quote it at length.
I encountered Areopagitica when I was a college sophomore about 40 years ago. IT WAS HARD!!! AAAAARRRGH IT WAS HARD!!!!!!!! I think I sprained my brain. It also changed my life. It made me realize my responsibility to be true to my own beliefs, and to argue them as passionately as Milton argued. I place it on this syllabus in hopes that it will challenge you as it has challenged me.
IT STILL IS HARD!!!
You will not encounter any more difficult going in this course than you will encounter in Areopagitica. The language is archaic. It was written for an audience used to essays which quoted "Ancient" authors and biblical authorities. The sentences are long and complex, and sometimes I still use my finger to help me follow what I'm reading. Don't give up!!! I'm going to cheer lead, morale build, egg on, and whatever else I can think to do to help you squeeze every bit of meaning out of it that you can. We are not going to rush through this. I'm going to devote all this week to it, and, if necessary, stretch into next week as well. To b egin with, I'm going to take some time in class to mark up this text, to number the subdivisions represented by (****) If you happen to miss the class in which this happens, see one of your classmates or see me..
I want you to focus on these issues:
1.What value does Milton put on books? Why does he considering "killing" a book perhaps more criminal than killing a man? What is the relationship between writing and thinking? (Section 1)
2.Do we have to fear the "corrupting influence" of "bad" books? Why or why not? (Sections 2-3_
3.Can even "bad" books be "good for us?" How? What does Milton mean by a "cloistered" virtue? (Section 4)
4.Even if one agree a book is "immoral," is there anything to be gained (in the sense of increased public goodness) by banning it? Why or why not? (Section 5)
5.Should freedom to read be extended to everyone, or just to the "wise"? Why? (Section 5)
6.How does Milton refute Plato's arguments in favor of censorship in an ideal or utopian community? (Section 6)
7.How does Milton define Reason, and what connection does Milton make between Reason and freedom of inquiry (Section 6)
8.What about the Censor? Is it possible to find a person who can censor books appropriately? Why, or why not? (Section 7 and elsewhere)
9.What is the relationship between freedom to write and read and personal maturity? (Section 8)
10.How does censorship corrupt teaching? (Section 9)
11.What about the practice of "expurgating" a text (taking out the bad bits) as opposed to censoring the text outright? Is this practice any less harmful? Why or why not? (Section 9)
12.What about the "common people?" Are we protecting them when we ban harmful literature? Why or why not? What does censorship assume about the capabilities of the "man in the street" (Section 10).
1.In what sense is censorship a "tyranny"? (Section 11)
2.What does Milton mean when he suggests "a man may be a heretic in the truth; and if he believes things only because his Pastor says so, or the Assembly so determines, without knowing other reason, though his belief be true yet the very truth he holds becomes his heresy" (Section 12) Keep this section in mind when you read Kant in a few weeks.
3.Why does the very public nature of books act as a safeguard against error (Section 13)
4.What is the relationship between learning, progress, and freedom of inquiry? (Section 14 - 15)
5.Why should we expect argument as part of learning? (Section 14-15)
6.Why does censorship hinder national greatness? (Section 15)
7.What does Milton mean when he calls liberty the "nurse of all great wits". Do you agree or disagree? (Section 15)
8.In what sense does censorship demonstrate a kind of intellectual cowardice? (Section 16)
9.What is the relationship between Truth, Falsehood, and Reason? What is Milton saying when he says that "Truth is strong next to the Almighty"?. Do you find any relationship to the ideas put forth by Cicero? (Section 16)
10.If censorship is not the best way to combat error, what is? (Section 17)
11.How does censorship lead to bad government? (Section 18)
Good luck with this essay. I hope that many of you come to value it as I have.
Tuesday's Discussion will go no further than the first ten sections (up to p. 34).
For Friday, October 19
We'll pick up our discussion of Areopagitica commencing about section 11, p. 34, Considering these issues:
Each year the American Library Association sponsors Banned Books Week. This year the week was celebrated September 22 to 29. Click on the banner to the left to learn more about banned books. The banner below features books for young adults which have come under attack by groups wishing to have them removed from school or public libraries. Yahoo maintains a portal dedicated exclusively to issues of censorship of books. Click on the poster below to visit the site..
Issues of censorship are particularly sensitive in times of international conflict. Click here to read a release from the Reuters news agency cocerning censorship issues in the period since September 11
#8: "Areopagitica," by John Milton pp. 29 - 38 
