Values of Free Expression

 All of the theories of speech are so important to our First Amendment rights, they hold all of our essential values and protect free expression. They analyze how free speech is essential for a successful democracy and clears the way for Americans to participate in our civil duties of holding our government responsible. Not only does free speech keep our government stable it also keeps society sane, and it allows us to find ourselves. 

1. Marketplace of ideas (Discovery of truth): John Milton's idea that truth will prevail when it can compete with falsehoods is still highly spoken about today. The media is bigger today than it ever has been, that said there is more false information than ever as well. Milton's idea is that when you let the people speak freely the truth will always come out on top. In the past this has not been the case, Misinformation and false news have spread like wildfires regarding politics, celebrities, and just about anything you can think of. This theory has been studied for years and a new topic circulating is Ai. The question is could Ai be the discovery of truth? Some researchers say no,  AI is not capable of doing this based on flaws and possible misinformation simply due to the information environment. I believe that there will truly always be false information spread but it is up to the viewer to find reliable and unbiased sources. 

2. Participation in Self-Government: Alexander Meiklejohn, who was an American philosopher, was a big contributor in studying the relationship between free speech and self-government. This is such an important factor in a democracy and is a major key part in keeping it running the way it is. While reading Meiklejohn's theory, it was clear that he wants us Americans to understand our government and constitution. He expresses how important it is to protect the freedom of speech to ensure Americans can truly have an understanding of what our politicians hold as their values and beliefs so that we can make decisions for ourselves. I find this to be very important in today's world of politics as debates get far more heated than in the past. The freedom of speech is so important but we must also protect one's intentions by not manipulating one's speech and making it something it is not. 

3. Stable Change (Safety value): Benedict Spinoza, who was a 17th century philosopher, had an idea on venting. Venting is something that people do everyday with other people. Spinoza suggested that a government is actually more secure when it allows people to express their grievances openly rather than forcing them into secrecy. If citizens can "vent" their frustrations, they may feel heard and be less likely to take radical or violent action. Furthermore, when dissent occurs in the open, the government can monitor and understand the concerns of potentially dangerous groups rather than driving them underground, where they may become more radicalized.

   
   

   4. Individual Self-Fulfillment (Self-Actualization): C. Edwin Baker's theory idea is that the primary justification for free speech is for one to be capable of finding themselves, I also feel like this relates to the participation in self-government. I think that a lot of the time us Americans want to complain about our government as we rightfully should but, we also forget how incredibly lucky we are to live in a country that allows us to criticize, voice our thoughts, and even speak. There are countries where you will be killed for doing so. This is not just a political tool, it's so that every American can be who they want to be and discover their identity.