General Article How 17th-century Britain’s ‘cancel culture’ can help us understand the importance of free speech

Topic Selected: Censorship Book Volume: 418

How 17th century’s Britain’s ‘cancel culture’ can help us understand the importance of free speech

Dan Taylor, The Open University and Ariel Hessayon, Goldsmiths, University of London

Free speech is the right to express one’s opinions without censorship or restraint. It is a cornerstone of modern liberal democracies. Nowadays, it is considered a basic right in the UN’s 1948 Declaration of Human Rights and it is is enshrined in British law.

Yet, free speech is neither historically well establ...

Would you like to see the rest of this article and all the other benefits that Issues Online can provide with?

Sign up now for a no obligation FREE TRIAL and view the entire collection