Wednesday, December 9, 2020

John Milton on This Day in History

 

Today in History: English poet and intellectual, John Milton, was born on this day in 1608. He is best known for his epic poem Paradise Lost (1667), which is widely considered to be one of the greatest works of literature ever written.

He also wrote Areopagitica, perhaps the earliest and one of the greatest manifestos in defense of free speech ever introduced. He wrote: “Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties.”

Take note of his excellent prose when discussing this topic: "[A]s good almost kill a man as kill a good book. Who kills a man kills a reasonable creature, God’s image; but he who destroys a good book, kills reason itself, kills the image of God, as it were in the eye."

In fact, it's not just good books that are important, but bad books are as well. Who can tell when a good man might gain knowledge and revelation, even from an unlikely (or bad) source? Milton talks about biblical authors and early church thinkers who benefited from studying and knowing pagan writings. 

Also, who is the one person, or group of persons who decide what you can and cannot read? Neither government nor google have the required omniscience demanded for such decisions.

John Milton also wrote De Doctrina Christiana (On Christian Doctrine) which has led to him being labeled an Arian (anti-trinitarian...not Aryan). 







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