What Do We Mean by "Freedom of Speech?" And the Defense of the Right to That Freedom?

The remark "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it" is famously attributed to the eighteenth century French philosophe Voltaire.

For the purposes of this discussion whether or not the attribution has been established as historically accurate is completely irrelevant, what matters instead the reason why so many cite the words in the first place--their summing up what it truly means to stand for free speech, a readiness not only to uncompromisingly defend that speech of which one approves, but also that which they disapprove, for the sake of sheer principle.

Not many live up to this standard, least of all those who most loudly claim to do so these days. As Aurelien Mondon has written (in discussion of the situation in France, though it seems to me we see the same trend everywhere else), "it has become commonly accepted in public discourse that free speech simply means the right of the powerful to offend without any consequences or any potential criticism."

Such a standard of freedom of speech is a perversion of the concept. This is not only because it completely rejects the spirit of defending speech on principle rather than because one approves the particular statement, but also because the fight for freedom of speech has, above all, been to defend the right of those out of power to speak--while this conception of "free speech" pointedly sacrifices their right to giving the powerful yet more latitude that they already have; to, as a practical matter, enabling them to "punch down" with even more complete immunity than they already possessed. Indeed, considering it I am reminded of Winston Churchill's remark that "[s]ome people’s idea of free speech is that they are free to say what they like, but if anyone says anything back, that is an outrage."

Anyone who sincerely cares about freedom of speech should be disgusted with such an idea of the freedom having so come to prevail. However, you are unlikely to hear much from those who think that way. After all, the mainstream media we have is firmly on the side of the powerful, and of their punching down--and inclines to the view that people who actually have principles are insane "ideologues" who may well be allowed to exercise their "freedom of speech," but never where an appreciable audience might be likely to hear them, not if they have anything to say about the matter.