The Importance of Speech

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights…” The founders of the United States expressed those words when declaring independence from Great Britain. Whether those natural rights are endowed by our Creator or by the human ability to reason, philosophers are in agreement that there are certain rights that are inherent to the human condition. Throughout history, the freedom of speech has regularly been regarded as a natural right by the likes of Plato, Aristotle, John Locke, and John Stuart Mill.

In fact, the representatives to the Constitutional Convention felt so strongly about our freedom of speech, that they enshrined its protection in the very First Amendment to the Constitution. It wasn’t enough for them to speak generally of it as speech, either. Rather, they codified its protection in multiple forms: religion (a specific aspect of speech), speech (of the individual), of the press (to investigate and indict government), the collective (to assemble with likeminded individuals), and to express grievances directly to the government (through petition). They even protected our right to not speak in the Fifth Amendment.

Following World War II, the United Nations drafted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Of the 25 articles which identify the rights that are universally protected, one fifth of them directly relate to speech: thought, conscience, and religion (Article 18); opinion and expression, including through media (Article 19); assembly and association (Article 20); education (Article 26), and cultural life and the arts (Article 27).

Clearly, the great philosophers held speech to be one of our natural rights, and free and fair governments sought to protect that right legally. Why? It is through speech and the corresponding exchange of ideas that we grow as individuals, so that we may become the best version of ourselves. Aristotle explained in Nicomachean Ethics that it is through reasoned debate and discourse that we collectively improve and choose the best course of action. John Stuart Mill explained in On Liberty that it is through free speech and the marketplace of ideas that we disprove falsehoods, become more committed to the truth, and refine our knowledge so that we gain a better understanding of reality. It is also through free speech that we gain the ability to access and defend other rights for ourselves and others.

Given the importance and power of speech, we should all strive to become better speakers. Of course, “with great power comes great responsibility.” It is important that we use our speech in productive, helpful, and ethical ways. Understanding how speech shapes our understanding, also gives us the ability to recognize when nefarious actors use their speech in destructive or manipulative ways. Gaining insight into effective speech enhances our ability to shape the world in positive ways.