num_pages: 320
description: While the philosophical and legal definitions of free speech may be familiar, its history has hitherto been neglected. Robert Hargreaves leads us through this evolving story, showing where the idea of free speech came from, and who its heroes are. Opening with a wide-ranging survey of its classical and medieval precursors and moving on to discuss its emergence in the eighteenth century as an independent principle to be argued over and fought for, Hargreaves sheds new light on the lives and motivation of those who championed free speech. From the execution of Socrates to the writings of Milton, Voltaire and Mill to the down-to-earth struggles of men like Paine, Wilkes and Cobbett, the author tackles the subject with a journalist's eye for telling details and human drama. The stories of setbacks and progress, of cataclysmic defeats and long centuries of stagnation, show that the battle for free speech is never over.
language: English
title: The First Freedom: A History of Free Speech
titlecomplete: The First Freedom: A History of Free Speech
ratings_count: 4
publisher: Sutton Pub Ltd