Areopagitica

Milton argues that the Licensing Order is a violation of freedom of speech and that it is harmful to the progress of knowledge. He argues that the best way to combat bad ideas is to expose them to public scrutiny and that censorship only serves to protect bad ideas from criticism. Milton also argues that the Licensing Order is a waste of time and money. He points out that it is impossible to censor all bad ideas and that the government would be better off spending its time and money on other things. Areopagitica was a highly influential speech and it is considered to be one of the most important works of the English Enlightenment. It helped to pave the way for the freedom of speech that we enjoy today.