Freedom of expression and human progress

The freedom to express novel and unconventional ideas has been under threat for all of human history. In the arts and sciences as in human society, people expressing radical views have been persecuted by those who are threatened by this expression. As human civilization evolved through the Middle Ages, human societies – particularly Europe – introduced enlightened and liberal values into this discourse. It cannot be a coincidence that the rapidity with which human life has improved in general in the past 150 years has been accompanied with greater tolerance of such ideas and it is the western world which has most reaped the benefits by espousing these ideals first. Galileo was persecuted by the Church but his idea remained an inspiration for all those that came after him. Countless other thinkers, artists and men/women of science have contributed their bit by making similar bold assertions which also encountered resistance. If these ideas were not given their due, human civilization would have stagnated. Every generation has people who question the old and bring in the new because human society is far from perfect today and probably will be for long. The democracies of today have built upon this legacy of the pioneering nations. They enshrine the freedom of expression as one of the most valuable rights of any human being.

If a human being differs from a greater majority on a point of great concern to the latter, should his right to articulate his view be taken away and should he be persecuted even in today’s democracies? Does not that human being have the right to believe in his view and also to express it freely even if it may cause great grief to others because they cannot countenance such a possibility? Radical thought may not be the absolute truth but so long as the thinker has no malice towards any living person or group of people and has expressed his idea in his conviction of being right, he/she should not be persecuted for having done so. Change in human society is never welcomed in with a red carpet; it is much resisted at first. Such ideas tend to have their germination in the arts before they are expressed publicly. Since certain forms of art are beyond the understanding of those who do not appreciate the nature of those arts, it is imperative that the discussion of these ideas is open-minded and restrained so as to understand their significance. Democracies must ensure that people have such reasoned debates and that if two sides disagree, they at least agree on the terms of disagreement. It is vital to ensure such discourse for the progress of humankind.