Why is freedom of speech essential to free government?

OCR: 7 cited passage(s) are machine-read (OCR) text of old printings; quotations reproduce the stored OCR text, misreadings included.

1. WHAT THEY SAID (the record)

Record ledger

• BELIEF (1719): Trenchard and Gordon ('Cato') believe that freedom of speech is essential to free government because it allows individuals to speak or write their minds impartially and openly on matters concerning their liberties, as long as there is no law to forbid them. They argue that this freedom is especially important when it is used to defend the laws and constitution in place. [1]
• BELIEF (undated): Trenchard and Gordon ('Cato') believed that freedom of opinion is essential because people will not change their beliefs unless they are exposed to better light, and harsh treatment only hardens them. They argued that opinions are part of the soul and that all men like their own best, so they must be treated with humanity. "Opinions are the Features of the Soul; and let them be ever so ridiculous or deformed, all Men like their own best: And whilst they like them, they neither will nor can part with them; and when they cease to like them, they will cease to retain them." [2]
• BELIEF (undated; OCR of an old printing): Trenchard and Gordon ('Cato') believed that freedom of speech is essential to free government because it allows for the improvement of knowledge without fear, which is necessary for maintaining liberty. They argued that when people are free, they pursue knowledge and learning, which are essential to a free state, but when they are under tyranny, such pursuits become dangerous and are abandoned. [3]
• BELIEF (undated; OCR of an old printing): Trenchard and Gordon ('Cato') believed that freedom of speech is essential to free government because it is necessary for wisdom and publick liberty, and because it is the right of every man as long as it does not hurt or contradict the right of another. They also believed that freedom of speech and the security of property go together, and that in countries where a man cannot call his speech his own, he cannot call anything else his own. (key quote above) [4]
• BELIEF (undated; OCR of an old printing): Trenchard and Gordon ('Cato') believed that freedom of speech is essential to free government because it is both a symptom and an effect of good governance. They argued that it allows the public to examine and criticize the actions of magistrates and ministers, exposing wrongdoing and ensuring accountability. (key quote above) [5]
• BELIEF (undated; OCR of an old printing): Trenchard and Gordon ('Cato') believed that freedom of speech is essential to free government because it is both a symptom and an effect of good government, and because it allows the public to examine and criticize public proceedings. They argue that the ability to think and speak freely is a mark of a blessed time under good governance. [6]
• BELIEF (undated; OCR of an old printing): Trenchard and Gordon ('Cato') believed that freedom of speech is essential to free government because it allows people to be heard by their superiors and to inform their countrymen of dangers and conspiracies against their safety. They argued that this must be done boldly, though with respect to authority. [7]
• BELIEF (undated; OCR of an old printing): Trenchard and Gordon ('Cato') believed that freedom of speech is essential to free government because it is one of the 'Rights and the Bleffings of Mankind,' alongside free trade and free government. They argue that monopolies in trade, politics, and religion are equally dangerous, and that a free liberty of conference is necessary for a free government. [8]
• BELIEF (undated; OCR of an old printing): Trenchard and Gordon ('Cato') believed that freedom of speech is essential to free government because without it, tyranny can stifle public spirit and genius, leading to a dumb and stupid populace. They argue that oppressors have historically resented and punished free speech, showing their hostility to truth. [9]
• BELIEF (undated): Trenchard and Gordon ('Cato') believed that freedom of speech is essential to free government because it allows for the expression of truth and the prevention of tyranny. They argued that without it, flattery and insincerity would dominate, especially in courts, leading to the corruption of rulers and the erosion of liberty. "Of Freedom of Speech; and how reasonable it is." [10]

What cuts against it

• BELIEF (undated): Trenchard and Gordon ("Cato") argued that abusing liberty, including through aspersions on public figures, leads to the loss of liberty. They believe that the same standards of character protection should apply to public men as to tradesmen. "Surely the Character of a Privy Counsellor is as much the Care of the Law, as the Character of a Tradesman. Let me add another Observation equally true and important, that 'the surest Way to lose Liberty is to abuse it.'" [11]

2. HOW IT APPLIES (reasoning; inference is marked)

1. Trenchard and Gordon ("Cato") argue that freedom of speech is essential to free government because it is necessary for wisdom and public liberty, as stated in [4].

2. They further claim that freedom of speech is both a symptom and an effect of good governance, as it allows the public to examine and criticize the actions of magistrates and ministers, as stated in [5].

3. They argue that without freedom of speech, tyranny can stifle public spirit and genius, leading to a dumb and stupid populace, as stated in [9].

4. They believe that monopolies in trade, politics, and religion are equally dangerous, and that a free liberty of conference is necessary for a free government, as stated in [8].

5. They argue that the surest way to lose liberty is to abuse it, which implies that freedom of speech must be exercised responsibly, as stated in [11].

3. THEIR TAKE

Record coverage: DIRECT

Trenchard and Gordon ("Cato") directly addressed the importance of freedom of speech to free government.

Extrapolation: They believed that freedom of speech is essential to free government because it allows individuals to express their thoughts and opinions without fear, which is necessary for wisdom and public liberty. They argued that it is both a symptom and an effect of good governance, as it allows the public to examine and criticize the actions of those in power.

Competing readings: One reading is that they believed freedom of speech is essential to prevent tyranny and ensure accountability. Another reading is that they warned against the abuse of liberty, suggesting that freedom of speech must be exercised responsibly. The record itself supports both readings.

Confidence: High, as the record directly addresses the question and provides multiple supporting statements.