Censorship
A plaster cast of David sits in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Beside it rests a detachable fig leaf made of the same material. Legend claims Queen Victoria felt shock upon first viewing the statue's nudity. She ordered the leaf hung on the figure prior to royal visits using two strategically placed hooks. This small piece of plaster became a symbol for how societies manage what they find objectionable or sensitive. Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. It may be done because such material is considered harmful, obscene, or inconvenient. Governments and private institutions conduct this suppression. When an individual like an author censors their own work, it is called self-censorship.
In 399 BC Socrates went on trial before the Athenian state. He defied attempts by that state to censor his philosophical teachings. Plato recorded the conviction which found him guilty of corrupting the minds of youth and impiety. Impiety meant not believing in the gods of the state. The court sentenced him to death. His student Plato later advocated censorship in his essay on The Republic. That text opposed the existence of democracy. In contrast Greek playwright Euripides defended true liberty for freeborn men. He argued for the right to speak freely. These ancient debates set the stage for centuries of conflict over who controls ideas.
In 1766 Sweden became the first country to abolish censorship by law. This decision marked a turning point in global history regarding freedom of expression. Before that date many nations imposed strict rules on what could be published or spoken. The Swedish move challenged the assumption that rulers must control information. It suggested that societies could function without official oversight of speech. Other countries would follow this path slowly over the next two hundred years. The abolition did not end all restrictions but it removed the legal basis for state suppression.
Censorship is often used to impose moral values on society. English novelist E. M. Forster was a staunch opponent of censoring material on grounds of obscenity. He raised the issue of moral subjectivity and how values change constantly. When the 1928 novel Lady Chatterley's Lover went on trial in 1960 Forster wrote about the case. Proponents justify censorship using different rationales for various types of information. Military censorship keeps intelligence confidential away from the enemy. Political censorship occurs when governments hold back information from citizens. Religious censorship removes material considered objectionable by a certain religion. Corporate censorship disrupts publishing that portrays business partners negatively.
The former Soviet Union maintained an extensive program of state-imposed censorship. The Chief Agency for Protection of Military and State Secrets known as Glavlit handled these matters. Glavlit personnel were present in every large Soviet publishing house or newspaper. The agency employed 70,000 censors to review information before dissemination. No mass medium escaped Glavlit control. During Joseph Stalin's rule publicly used photographs were altered to remove people condemned to execution. This deliberate alteration of history became a central theme of totalitarianism. Even weather forecasts changed if they suggested bad conditions on May Day. The system ensured all reporting aligned with Communist Party directives.
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Common questions
What is the definition of censorship according to the script?
Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. It may be done because such material is considered harmful, obscene, or inconvenient.
When did Sweden become the first country to abolish censorship by law?
In 1766 Sweden became the first country to abolish censorship by law. This decision marked a turning point in global history regarding freedom of expression.
Who was sentenced to death for defying state censorship attempts in 399 BC?
Socrates went on trial before the Athenian state and was found guilty of corrupting the minds of youth and impiety. The court sentenced him to death for his defiance of state censorship efforts.
How many censors worked for Glavlit during the former Soviet Union era?
The Chief Agency for Protection of Military and State Secrets known as Glavlit employed 70,000 censors to review information before dissemination. No mass medium escaped Glavlit control under this system.
Which novel went on trial in 1960 while E. M. Forster wrote about the case?
The 1928 novel Lady Chatterley's Lover went on trial in 1960 when E. M. Forster wrote about the case. He raised the issue of moral subjectivity and how values change constantly.