Importance Of Freedom Of Speech In 1984 by George Orwell

Amidst the war between Ukraine and Russia, Russia has been censoring individuals from the internet and limiting the media they receive. Throughout history, governments have tried to control speech and hide the truth. In dystopian sci-fi 1984 by George Orwell, the ruling Party in London controls: speech, press, and thought in the nation. The protagonist, Winston Smith, questions the history of the ruling Party in London of their narrative about events and inventions from the past but is unable to refute their stories when there is no evidence. The events in 1984 by George Orwell argue that a totalitarian government that limits the truth is a danger to society by limiting our freedom of speech and thought and to be superior and remain in power.

The first reason that promotes why a government limiting speech and thought endangers society is that the government controls our reality by limiting our speech and thought. Winston Smith, the narrator of the story, constantly has a battle within his mind and is forced to control his thoughts to align with the Parties. Winston explains the process in which he has to hypnotize himself to believe what the Party thinks, ¨to believe that democracy was impossible and that the Party was the guardian of democracy, to forget whatever it was necessary to forget, then to draw it back into memory again at the moment when it was needed… to apply the same process to the process itself…Even to understand the word ‘doublethink’ involved the use of doublethink¨ (Orwell). Winston processes the information he takes in, although his conscience knows the two statements or opinions contradict each other, he has to learn how to be aware of both ideas. Having to process your thoughts to match the majority is a danger to society because people do not have the freedom to think for themselves and will be unaware of reality. The government being able to control our thoughts and opinions will inevitably lead to the collapse of a society of freedom. History proves how dangerous it is to have the government regulate fake news? By Flemming Rose and Jacob Mchangama, the authors explain how different events in history unveiled the government controlling the truth and how that restricted freedom of speech, ¨In 1798, the U.S. Congress passed the Sedition Act to punish false statements about the government made with malicious intent. It was used to suppress opinions with which the Federalist administration of President John Adams disagreed¨ (Rose & Mchangama). The U.S Congress creating an Act to punish individuals who publicize false statements is an example of the government limiting speech that opposes the government when in reality it is an excuse to suppress opinions. Controlling speech and the truth do not work when it is hard to draw the line on what is considered the truth. Free speech is a natural right and is up to us individuals to filter information and opinions.  Overall, a government that has the power to limit our thoughts, speech, and actions should not exist as it will endanger society to fully conform to their standard.

Furthermore, another reason why the government controlling the truth is a danger to society is that the government being able to control the truth leads them to seem superior by limiting opposing viewpoints. Winston and the people who live under the ruling Party receive information from the Party's history books,  ¨Sometimes, indeed, you could put your finger on a definite lie. It was not true, for example, as was claimed in the Party history books, that the Party had invented aeroplanes. He remembered airplanes since his earliest childhood. But you could prove nothing. There was never any evidence¨ (Orwell). The government alters the past especially in print when writing information, facts, and events in their history books. Subsequently, crafting lies that contradict what is already known makes us question the reality we are living in and believe that the Party is superior when in reality they are manipulators. The Party hides the truth from its citizens to seem superior and remain in power. Similarly, the authors in Along with History proves how dangerous it is to have the government regulate fake news? address that fake news from the press is blocked by religious and political authorities, ¨In the 16th and 17th century, access to the press triggered waves of fake news and dissemination of wild conspiracy theories about witches and millenarian crazes… Back then, the religious and political authorities panicked and set up draconian regimes of censorship, like the Catholic Church’s ´Index Librorum Prohibitorum´ on prohibited books. It had disastrous consequences. Those who did not utilize the printing press lagged behind the early adopters¨ (Rose & Mchangama) Consequently, there are more downsides to controlling information instead of embracing the opinions and thoughts of others no matter if they oppose our own. Government and political authorities that suppress our perspectives do so because they could contradict with their policies. Therefore, Government officials use this to their advantage to remain superior. To summarize, history has taught us that the government being able to control the truth is a threat to our freedom by prohibiting our opinions that oppose the government which keeps them in power.

Evidently, in 1984 George Orwell provides the argument that a government that manipulates the truth is a threat to society because it limits freedom of speech and to remain superior by opposing opposite opinions. The government being able to control the truth is a threat to society because it limits our freedom of speech and our voices to be heard. Both 1984 and History proves how dangerous it is to have the government regulate fake news? explain to us the downsides of the government being in full control to remain superior by limiting what information we take and can preach. Understanding the dangers of the government being able to control the truth allows people to prevent a totalitarian government from arising and to be aware of our freedom of speech and its importance within society.