Eight Values of Free Expression

    The First Amendment of the United States Constitution was adopted as a part of the Bill of Rights on December 15, 1791. In general, "the First Amendment guarantees the right to express ideas and information" and it means that people are able to express their own opinions without fear of government censorship (https://www.history.com/topics/united-states-constitution/freedom-of-speech#:~:text=The%20First%20Amendment%20was%20adopted,of%20speech%2C%20assembly%20and%20worship). While the first amendment has not evolved much throughout the years, courts have taken it upon themselves to interpret the constitution in a variety of different ways. No court has the power to change the constitution, but almost all will interpret it differently.

    As many of us know, there are six freedoms listed in the First Amendment. These freedoms are all very crucial parts to how we live our lives today. The freedoms from religion, of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition are all a part of the first ten amendments and what we know today as the Bill of Rights. These ideas of freedom led to many different theories and discussions, such as the Marketplace of Ideas in 1919. The marketplace of ideas refers to the “rationale for freedom of expression based on an analogy to the economic concept of a free market” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marketplace_of_ideas#:~:text=The%20marketplace%20of%20ideas%20is,concept%20of%20a%20free%20market).

    Going along with the Marketplace of Ideas, there are eight different theories that are used by scholars to describe how and why the freedom of expression is so important to us as American citizens. These theories include the “Marketplace of Ideas”, also known as the “Discovery of Truth”; “Participation in Self-Government”; “Stable Change”, also known as “Safety Valve”; “Individual Self-Fulfillment”, also known as “Self-Actualization”; “Check on Governmental Power”, also known as the “Watchdog Role”; “Promote Tolerance”; “Promote Innovation”; and finally, “Protect Dissent”.

    On these eight values of free expression, the theory that resonates the most in my opinion would be Stable Change/Safety Valve. This theory from Benedict Spinoza’s “Tractatus-Theologico Politicus” suggests that society’s where angry or alienated citizens are able to freely speak their mind or vent are more stable than those who are not able to do so. This theory resonates with me based on the fact that it is in the government’s own self interest to allow such venting, as allowing these alienated/discontented people to speak freely allows the government to better monitor any potentially dangerous individuals or groups who would otherwise act out. The theory that feels most important to me I think is Protect Dissent. This theory from Steve Shiffrin’s “Dissent”, and “Injustice in and the Meanings of America”, makes clear that the first amendment protects minority views and opinions, no matter how popular or unpopular, and that you as a citizen have a strongly protected first amendment right to disagree with not only the government but anyone else as well. It is important for us to be able to hold views and opinions that are uniquely our own and not the product of fear or propaganda. The theory that feels most personal to me is Individual Self-Fulfillment/Self Actualization. This theory from C. Edwin Baker’s “Human Library and Freedom of Speech”, states that free speech allows individuals to express themselves how they want and create their own identity apart from others. Based on this theory, freedom of speech becomes just another aspect of human dignity, human agency, and autonomy. We have seen many of these theories be put to the test in the past, however, I think the one most prevalently in action today would be Promote Tolerance. This theory from Lee Bollinger’s “The Tolerant Study: Freedom of Speech and Extremist Speech”, suggests that freedom of speech teaches us to become more tolerant in other aspects of life. In other words, the first amendment protects hate speech because society is able to learn valuable lessons from it, including why it is hateful, and why it is worth condemning.