Freedom and Responsibility

As we wind down to the end of our time in Political Science 101 - Introduction to Political Theory, I was trying to find the overall theme of all we have learned this semester, something I try to do once every class of mine comes to an end. We sure read a lot, and as I was going through my notes, I came across to what we learned about when we discussed John Stuart Mill: his opinions on the freedom of expression and thought. I could not help but think that his theory that the freedom of expression must be allowed, for it promoted the gaining of knowledge, a key element to a functioning society, was a theory that if we forget all others, we must remember, for it summarizes what Intro to Political Theory is really all about.

First, a little background. My junior year of high school, I volunteered at the Newseum, an interactive museum in Washington, DC, dedicated fully to journalism. It focuses on key events in our nation's history and how they were reported, highlighting the key impact journalists have on the working of our country. On the front of the actual building of the Newseum is a huge copy of the First Amendment, representing the Newseum's entire purpose of the museum: to prove how important the Amendment's five freedoms are to the United States' foundation. Without the freedom of speech, press, religion, petition, and assembly, I learned, thanks to the Newseum, that our country would not be as it is, so we must appreciate these freedoms and work to exercise them everyday. The freedom of expression, or speech, is a freedom that journalists use every day, and something that, as John Stuart Mill recognizes, is a crucial element to the functioning of our society.

The First Amendment is displayed in huge font on the front of the Newseum.
Washington, DC
Found here.

This recognition that free speech makes possible the increased knowledge of a society is made obvious by the many theories we have read this semester in political theory. Without such theorists practicing their freedom of speech, we as a society would not be nearly as knowledgable about our political system. These theories were written by theorists who had the freedom to express whatever they thought about politics, knowing that what they said would contribute to the greater public intellect.

The final part of Mill's argument is perhaps most important and what we as all students must remember for our future. With the freedom of expression comes the duty imposed on all individuals to test our own beliefs. So, in other words, with right comes responsibility. We must appreciate the right we have to say whatever we may want, but also remember that with this appreciation comes a responsibility to test our own beliefs in both search of truth as well as attainment of greater knowledge.

Five freedoms that we must never take for granted.
Found here.

So, all my fellow political theorists -- remember that since we have this freedom of expression, a freedom that our soldiers fight every day to defend, we must use it to our best advantage, and voice our opinions whenever we can, with the intent of bettering our society, just as all of the other political theorists we have read about did. We must also remember though, that our beliefs and voices can be changed, so we must listen to others' opinions, which is the very beauty of the freedom of expression -- everyone gets a say.