Effects of Censorship
Censorship affects everyone. However, its effect varies from group to group. Obviously readers are affected as it limits what they can read; information is denied them. Different groups are affected in different ways. The following details how censorship affects specific facets of the literary field: the creaters of written works, those who publish & provide them, and others who rely on them for education and enlightenment.
1. Writers.
Source: Body Mojo.
"There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written or badly written."
-Oscar Wilde
Writers are the source of literary creation. They are the ones that create the stories, worlds and characters in fiction. They give impetus to the dissemination of ideas. Regardless of reason, this marks them as dangerous to those who would prevent these ideas from spreading. Like other artists, they are one of the most targeted groups in society. They are capable of independent thought and so many, that makes them dangerous; once an idea has been released, it cannot be killed. Stifle the artist and the flow of dangerous material will stop.
There are many famous cases over the centuries. Copernicus’ work showing the earth was not the center of the universe remained unpublished for decades for fear of reprisal from the Catholic Church. A century later, Galileo was convicted of “suspicion of heresy” for embracing Copernicus’ viewpoints and placed under house arrest and forbidden to publish any more works for the rest of his life. The advancement of astronomy and other sciences was held back centuries as a result. Another and more recent example is the Russian author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, who spent years in Soviet labor camps for writing derogatorily about the Soviet system and government. Similar examples of persecution can be found today in many other places around the world, such as China. Of course, less extreme examples would be harrassment of the author and difficulty in getting this works published or placed places such as libraries due to pressure from special interest groups.
The effect is that many writers begin to cease to write along particular lines to avoid persecution and punishment. Those with stronger convictions may continue writing on controversial subjects, but they will be hampered by force and duress. Minimally, the introduction of these “objectionable” ideas is slowed. At worst, it is stopped entirely as no one dare oppose those who object. Fortunately this last is rare and the worst that usually occurs is that the ideas are slowed to a trickle until the pressure is alleviated.
Even when writers do deal with prohibited topics, censorship pressure on other groups create major obstacles to printing and distributing their works.
-Oscar Wilde
Writers are the source of literary creation. They are the ones that create the stories, worlds and characters in fiction. They give impetus to the dissemination of ideas. Regardless of reason, this marks them as dangerous to those who would prevent these ideas from spreading. Like other artists, they are one of the most targeted groups in society. They are capable of independent thought and so many, that makes them dangerous; once an idea has been released, it cannot be killed. Stifle the artist and the flow of dangerous material will stop.
There are many famous cases over the centuries. Copernicus’ work showing the earth was not the center of the universe remained unpublished for decades for fear of reprisal from the Catholic Church. A century later, Galileo was convicted of “suspicion of heresy” for embracing Copernicus’ viewpoints and placed under house arrest and forbidden to publish any more works for the rest of his life. The advancement of astronomy and other sciences was held back centuries as a result. Another and more recent example is the Russian author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, who spent years in Soviet labor camps for writing derogatorily about the Soviet system and government. Similar examples of persecution can be found today in many other places around the world, such as China. Of course, less extreme examples would be harrassment of the author and difficulty in getting this works published or placed places such as libraries due to pressure from special interest groups.
The effect is that many writers begin to cease to write along particular lines to avoid persecution and punishment. Those with stronger convictions may continue writing on controversial subjects, but they will be hampered by force and duress. Minimally, the introduction of these “objectionable” ideas is slowed. At worst, it is stopped entirely as no one dare oppose those who object. Fortunately this last is rare and the worst that usually occurs is that the ideas are slowed to a trickle until the pressure is alleviated.
Even when writers do deal with prohibited topics, censorship pressure on other groups create major obstacles to printing and distributing their works.
2. Publishers.
Source: A Passage to Pondy.
"I am mortified to be told that, in the United States of America, the sale of a book can become a subject of inquiry, and of criminal inquiry too."
-Thomas Jefferson
Publishers too face the pressures of censorship, but it is generally of a different form. Writers for the most part are driven by intellectual creativity; their main force is the desire to create and share ideas. Those who print and sell literary and intellectual works are predominantly driven by commercial profit. This is natural; they are in the business of producing and selling an exchangeable commodity. Choices of what to print are normally governed not by the idealistic content of the manuscript, but if it will return a profit. Refusal to print primarily stems from the consideration that it is commercially unviable. This is not censorship, but a sound business practice.
Of course, as the manufacturing source of printed books, they are the target of censorship too. Frequently outside pressure is brought to bear if they distribute a particularly objectionable piece; usually, however, self-censorship is imposed. Fear of legal action and government reprisals are factors; manuscripts are refused to avoid these potential problems.
The fact that publishers operate principally on commercial gain rather than idealism often works against the forces of censorship. If a given work is particularly popular or profitable, then from a business perspective the potential risks and expenses to counter the opposition is often outweighed by the potential profit to be made. One historical example was Galileo; under a lifetime sentence of house arrest by the Catholic Church in 1633, his entire works were banned including any future writings. One of his finest works (“Two New Sciences”) was refused by publishing houses in Italy, Germany and Poland out of fear of the Church Inquisition. It was published by a printing house in the Netherlands, who did not fear church reprisals.
-Thomas Jefferson
Publishers too face the pressures of censorship, but it is generally of a different form. Writers for the most part are driven by intellectual creativity; their main force is the desire to create and share ideas. Those who print and sell literary and intellectual works are predominantly driven by commercial profit. This is natural; they are in the business of producing and selling an exchangeable commodity. Choices of what to print are normally governed not by the idealistic content of the manuscript, but if it will return a profit. Refusal to print primarily stems from the consideration that it is commercially unviable. This is not censorship, but a sound business practice.
Of course, as the manufacturing source of printed books, they are the target of censorship too. Frequently outside pressure is brought to bear if they distribute a particularly objectionable piece; usually, however, self-censorship is imposed. Fear of legal action and government reprisals are factors; manuscripts are refused to avoid these potential problems.
The fact that publishers operate principally on commercial gain rather than idealism often works against the forces of censorship. If a given work is particularly popular or profitable, then from a business perspective the potential risks and expenses to counter the opposition is often outweighed by the potential profit to be made. One historical example was Galileo; under a lifetime sentence of house arrest by the Catholic Church in 1633, his entire works were banned including any future writings. One of his finest works (“Two New Sciences”) was refused by publishing houses in Italy, Germany and Poland out of fear of the Church Inquisition. It was published by a printing house in the Netherlands, who did not fear church reprisals.
3. Educators.
Source: mycisnot4sale.
"The most important aspect of freedom of speech is freedom to learn. All education is continuous dialog-- questions and answers that pursure every problem on the horizon. That is the essence of academic freedom."
--William Orville Douglass
Educators feel censorship pressure from multiple directions much more keenly than do writers or publishers. Schools reach directly into nearly every family in the country and therefore have a greater effect on personal life. Because of this, pressure to remove materials originates very heavily from parents and parental groups; 93% of all challenges involve materials in classrooms, school or public libraries.
The educational landscape has changed drastically from the little red schoolhouse of a century ago. Local community-run schools have given way to larger city or county wide districts often operating under statewide guidelines. Voluntary school attendance was changed to compulsory attendance. While overall children receive a higher basic education than several generations ago, the system has liabilities; a standardized educational system requires a standardized curriculum, and is subject to arbitrary decisions and manipulation.
Two-thirds of all attacks originate from parents; individually or in groups, they attempt to defend their particular beliefs, be it religious, sexual or otherwise. Unfortunately, while these groups are within their rights to pursue their own beliefs, attempts to remove books restrict the rights of others.
This is the dilemma that these pressures place on educators. They are there to serve the community and are answerable to the residents. But they also need to balance the needs of the entire community against the demands of a small segment. This pertains to anyone directly involved in the educational process or system. Teachers are of course part of this group, which also contains those in administrative positions, up to and including school board members. Anyone who has power to affect the teaching curriculum would be placed in this category.
Schools have removed books in response to pressure. Books have also been removed for personal bias on the part of the local school board. Fortunately, this is becoming more uncommon.
Out of everyone considered an educator, censorship hits teachers the hardest. They are responsible for the education of future generations. Book banning denies them tools to do their job; they are also forced to teach not what is true, but what is determined to be true. They are told what to use and what not to use from principals and the school board. They are the targets of hostile parents and organizations.
Richard Nixon said in 1962, “What are our schools for if not for indoctrination against communism?” Banning of books is one of the tools for achieving a state-sponsored education of propaganda.
Teachers need to have access to all materials in order to properly educate. Every banned book reduces their ability to effectively do this one degree more.
--William Orville Douglass
Educators feel censorship pressure from multiple directions much more keenly than do writers or publishers. Schools reach directly into nearly every family in the country and therefore have a greater effect on personal life. Because of this, pressure to remove materials originates very heavily from parents and parental groups; 93% of all challenges involve materials in classrooms, school or public libraries.
The educational landscape has changed drastically from the little red schoolhouse of a century ago. Local community-run schools have given way to larger city or county wide districts often operating under statewide guidelines. Voluntary school attendance was changed to compulsory attendance. While overall children receive a higher basic education than several generations ago, the system has liabilities; a standardized educational system requires a standardized curriculum, and is subject to arbitrary decisions and manipulation.
Two-thirds of all attacks originate from parents; individually or in groups, they attempt to defend their particular beliefs, be it religious, sexual or otherwise. Unfortunately, while these groups are within their rights to pursue their own beliefs, attempts to remove books restrict the rights of others.
This is the dilemma that these pressures place on educators. They are there to serve the community and are answerable to the residents. But they also need to balance the needs of the entire community against the demands of a small segment. This pertains to anyone directly involved in the educational process or system. Teachers are of course part of this group, which also contains those in administrative positions, up to and including school board members. Anyone who has power to affect the teaching curriculum would be placed in this category.
Schools have removed books in response to pressure. Books have also been removed for personal bias on the part of the local school board. Fortunately, this is becoming more uncommon.
Out of everyone considered an educator, censorship hits teachers the hardest. They are responsible for the education of future generations. Book banning denies them tools to do their job; they are also forced to teach not what is true, but what is determined to be true. They are told what to use and what not to use from principals and the school board. They are the targets of hostile parents and organizations.
Richard Nixon said in 1962, “What are our schools for if not for indoctrination against communism?” Banning of books is one of the tools for achieving a state-sponsored education of propaganda.
Teachers need to have access to all materials in order to properly educate. Every banned book reduces their ability to effectively do this one degree more.
4. Librarians.
Source: Malamalama
"My job is to open new worlds to students, not close them off."
-Librarian, Covina, California
Like educators, librarians feel the brunt of censorship from many directions. Libraries are repositories of information. They are not partisan; their purpose is to provide an impartial collection of information for education and enlightenment of society. Librarians are stewards of this information, assisting the public access it.
Censorship directly cuts across their efforts to provide access to all kinds of information. They are not answerable to a particular group, but to the community at large, which is composed of many different religions and cultures. Once a book is challenged, the librarians are subjected to extreme stress, emanating from outraged parents and organizations; this also quite often includes legal actions which must be contended with. Fortunately, they are not alone in defending informational liberties. The Institutions themselves as well as other allies, such as the American Library Association, defend both the libraries and the librarians. As a result, the public’s access to all branches of knowledge is preserved.
But the pressure to censor takes a toll. In one survey, nearly half of all librarians polled had experienced the turmoil of a book challenge. After enduring one such ordeal, many are unwilling to undergo another. Many quietly begin to practice self-censorship; potentially controversial titles are not purchased for the library. Seventy percent have stated they won’t buy specific books for the library because they fear reaction from parents. In the United States, direct challenges to books are nearly always unsuccessful in removing that title. But it seems it is having unheralded success. By spreading fear of reprisal, self-censoring librarians do the work for the ban-mongers, and more efficiently, for there is no real public recourse. The public does not miss a title that was never there. And no protests can be lodged to replace a book if it was never there to be removed.
-Librarian, Covina, California
Like educators, librarians feel the brunt of censorship from many directions. Libraries are repositories of information. They are not partisan; their purpose is to provide an impartial collection of information for education and enlightenment of society. Librarians are stewards of this information, assisting the public access it.
Censorship directly cuts across their efforts to provide access to all kinds of information. They are not answerable to a particular group, but to the community at large, which is composed of many different religions and cultures. Once a book is challenged, the librarians are subjected to extreme stress, emanating from outraged parents and organizations; this also quite often includes legal actions which must be contended with. Fortunately, they are not alone in defending informational liberties. The Institutions themselves as well as other allies, such as the American Library Association, defend both the libraries and the librarians. As a result, the public’s access to all branches of knowledge is preserved.
But the pressure to censor takes a toll. In one survey, nearly half of all librarians polled had experienced the turmoil of a book challenge. After enduring one such ordeal, many are unwilling to undergo another. Many quietly begin to practice self-censorship; potentially controversial titles are not purchased for the library. Seventy percent have stated they won’t buy specific books for the library because they fear reaction from parents. In the United States, direct challenges to books are nearly always unsuccessful in removing that title. But it seems it is having unheralded success. By spreading fear of reprisal, self-censoring librarians do the work for the ban-mongers, and more efficiently, for there is no real public recourse. The public does not miss a title that was never there. And no protests can be lodged to replace a book if it was never there to be removed.
5. Readers (General Public)
Source: Chomp Life
"A people which is able to say everything is able to do everything."
-Napoleon I
The greatest impact of censorship is on readers, who are denied this channel of information. Books are meant to be read; their ideas intended to be spread from one person to another. That is their purpose, regardless if they are for education or entertainment. It is impossible to understand events and make valid, rational decisions if one is denied access to data. Without complete information, individuals become more dependent on others to provide information and make decisions. To the degree that they do this, they give up their liberties.
It is impossible to accurately gauge the magnitude of the effect censorship has had on readers, as this would be trying to measure a negative quantity. No one can determine the size of a disaster that was avoided. Or the contributions that might have been made by a genius that was never born. Ideas that never reach the reader are never put into action and die like fruit on the vine. The only indication of censorship’s true effect is to observe some of the effects created by books that actually did reach the general public. Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Origin of Species, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, The Jungle, even the “Harry Potter” series. Imagine if these had never reached the hands of the general public; if one can then envision what the world would be like without the events initiated by these works, then one begins to appreciate the full impact of censorship.
Effects of Censorship on Society in General.
"The first condition of progress is the removal of censorship. "
-George Bernard Shaw
Effects by written works spread outward. Like a pebble thrown into a pond, the waves move outwards in all directions from the initial source. The further they travel from the source, the greater area they impact. So it is with books. Writers are the source of the ideas. As these ideas pass through printers and eventually to the readers, each recipient sees the impact of the idea growing in size. By the time it reaches the general public, it is impossible to completely quench.
This is why writers and other artists are the prime targets for censorship. By stemming the “dangerous” ideas at the source, it never arrives in the hands of the public. Once embraced, ideas cannot be killed; however, it is easier to silence one voice than millions. A person cannot protest censoring of material if they do not even know it existed in the first place. Trying to ban a book after it is in circulation is futile and has never been successful; it is damage control after the fact.
Society is not a matter of survival basics. Cultures flourish with higher ideals and intangibles that make life more enjoyable. Art, music, literature, all manners of creation; shared among individuals raises consciousness and sense of community. Healthy, growing societies embrace new ideas. Stagnant, dying societies do not. The degree of censorship is a flaming indicator of the health and future of that society; the greater the restriction, the closer it is to death.
Domination Through Censorship
"How fortunate for leaders that men do not think."
-Adolph Hitler
It has already been stated that one of the primary moving forces behind censorship is fear. This translates into use of censorship in an attempt to reign in their environment and negate the perceived threat. Unchecked, this progresses into an almost malignant cultural aberration whereby censorship is practiced to dominate or destroy coexisting cultures.
There are countless examples of this over the past several millennia. One of the earliest examples is the great Library in Alexandria was burned three times from 48 BC to 642 AD; twice by Rome and once by Muslims. The greatest collection of written works in the known world (700,000 scrolls) was lost. While part of this was pillage, it was also to prevent spread of knowledge.
One of the more notorious examples is that of the Catholic Church and the Inquisition. Holding both the powers of religion and literacy, these were utilized to literally rule the population for the church’s benefit and to stamp out any potential threats to their authority. Any work remotely questioning religious text could be branded as “heretical” and banned. Advancement of the sciences was delayed centuries because works written by Copernicus, Galileo and others contradicted religious teachings. Offenders risked excommunication, house arrest, torture and even death.
Censorship has also been utilized as a method of cultural genocide. The English utilized this as a tool to extinguish the Irish culture over several centuries. As far back as 1366, English law required use of the English language instead of Gaelic. In an attempt to make “British Citizens”, Gaelic became illegal. In 19th century Irish schools, students were beaten with “tally sticks” if they were caught speaking Gaelic. And of course the famous Nazi book burnings in the 1930s in an attempt to achieve “racial purity.”
It is ironic that although great literary works and magnificent advancements in the sciences for mankind were banned, Hitler's "Mein Kampf" was never officially placed on the church's list of forbidden literature.
In modern American society, although such extremes no longer occur, the use of censorship as a control mechanism is still present. Religious groups frequently attempt to remove materials that conflict with their personal beliefs. Objections to sexual content, particularly in regards to “unconventional” practices such as homosexuality are common. Regardless of the group or subject in question, however, the motive was always the same: preserve one’s own group while controlling or eliminating others.
Control the channels of knowledge, control the populace.
Works cited:
“Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.” Wikipedia. 4 Dec. 2011. Web. 4 Dec 2011.
BrainyQuote. 2011. Web. 11 Dec 2011.
Chesser, Preston. “The Burning of the Library of Alexandria.” eHistory Archive. 1 Jun. 2002. Web. 9 Dec 2011.
"Famous Quotes and Authors." 2011. Web. 11 Dec 2011.
"Freedom of Speech." Proverbia.net. 2009. Web. 11 Dec 2011.
"Freedom of Speech Quotes." ThinkExist.com. 2011. Web. 11 Dec 2011.
“Galileo Galilei.” Wikipedia. 1 Dec. 2011. Web. 4 Dec 2011.
Hunsinger, Earl. “The Fall and Rise of the Irish Language.” Buzzle.com. 2011. Web. 9 Dec. 2011.
" Index Librorum Prohibitorum." Wikipedia. 29 Nov. 2011. Web. 10 Dec 2011.
“Nicolaus Copernicus.” Wikipedia. 25 Nov. 2011. Web. 4 Dec 2011.
Sorenson, Mark. “Censorship and the Public Librarian.” Illinois Periodicals Online. Web. 9 Dec 2011.
“Two New Sciences.” Wikipedia. 11 Oct. 2011. Web. 9 Dec 2011.
Whelan, Debra. “A Dirty Little Secret: Self-Censorship.” School Library Journal. 1 Feb. 2009. Web. 24 Nov 2011.
Slideshow photo acknowledgements:
Index – SMU/Perkins School of Theology
Bible books – luxoccultapress
Galileo book – Flickr, by Steve Thompson
Galileo – Crystallinks
Inquisition – special.net
Copernicus book – the wittenburgdoor
Copernicus – wolfram research
“Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn.” Wikipedia. 4 Dec. 2011. Web. 4 Dec 2011.
BrainyQuote. 2011. Web. 11 Dec 2011.
Chesser, Preston. “The Burning of the Library of Alexandria.” eHistory Archive. 1 Jun. 2002. Web. 9 Dec 2011.
"Famous Quotes and Authors." 2011. Web. 11 Dec 2011.
"Freedom of Speech." Proverbia.net. 2009. Web. 11 Dec 2011.
"Freedom of Speech Quotes." ThinkExist.com. 2011. Web. 11 Dec 2011.
“Galileo Galilei.” Wikipedia. 1 Dec. 2011. Web. 4 Dec 2011.
Hunsinger, Earl. “The Fall and Rise of the Irish Language.” Buzzle.com. 2011. Web. 9 Dec. 2011.
" Index Librorum Prohibitorum." Wikipedia. 29 Nov. 2011. Web. 10 Dec 2011.
“Nicolaus Copernicus.” Wikipedia. 25 Nov. 2011. Web. 4 Dec 2011.
Sorenson, Mark. “Censorship and the Public Librarian.” Illinois Periodicals Online. Web. 9 Dec 2011.
“Two New Sciences.” Wikipedia. 11 Oct. 2011. Web. 9 Dec 2011.
Whelan, Debra. “A Dirty Little Secret: Self-Censorship.” School Library Journal. 1 Feb. 2009. Web. 24 Nov 2011.
Slideshow photo acknowledgements:
Index – SMU/Perkins School of Theology
Bible books – luxoccultapress
Galileo book – Flickr, by Steve Thompson
Galileo – Crystallinks
Inquisition – special.net
Copernicus book – the wittenburgdoor
Copernicus – wolfram research