Dangerous Ideas: A Brief History of Censorship in the West, from the Ancients to Fake News
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-06-08 09:51:39
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Eric Berkowitz
- ISBN：0807036242
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
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Summary
A fascinating examination of how restricting speech has continuously shaped our culture， and how censorship is used as a tool to prop up authorities and maintain class and gender disparities
Through compelling narrative， historian Eric Berkowitz reveals how drastically censorship has shaped our modern society。 More than just a history of censorship， Dangerous Ideas illuminates the power of restricting speech; how it has defined states， ideas， and culture; and （despite how each of us would like to believe otherwise） how it is something we all participate in。
This engaging cultural history of censorship and thought suppression throughout the ages takes readers from the first Chinese emperor's wholesale elimination of books， to Henry VIII's decree of death for anyone who "imagined" his demise， and on to the attack on Charlie Hebdo and the volatile politics surrounding censorship of social media。
Highlighting the base impulses driving many famous acts of suppression， Berkowitz demonstrates the fragility of power and how every individual can act as both the suppressor and the suppressed。
Through compelling narrative， historian Eric Berkowitz reveals how drastically censorship has shaped our modern society。 More than just a history of censorship， Dangerous Ideas illuminates the power of restricting speech; how it has defined states， ideas， and culture; and （despite how each of us would like to believe otherwise） how it is something we all participate in。
This engaging cultural history of censorship and thought suppression throughout the ages takes readers from the first Chinese emperor's wholesale elimination of books， to Henry VIII's decree of death for anyone who "imagined" his demise， and on to the attack on Charlie Hebdo and the volatile politics surrounding censorship of social media。
Highlighting the base impulses driving many famous acts of suppression， Berkowitz demonstrates the fragility of power and how every individual can act as both the suppressor and the suppressed。
Reviews
Kevin
，
Well researched and argued， written with wit and insight， Berkowitz's tour through the history of censorship is as necessary as it is timely。 Required reading for every citizen concerned for the future of free expression in our nation and world。 Well researched and argued， written with wit and insight， Berkowitz's tour through the history of censorship is as necessary as it is timely。 Required reading for every citizen concerned for the future of free expression in our nation and world。 。。。more
Alan Zafran
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Wow！ I thought that I understood the challenges relating to censorship， and the pros and the cons of silencing dissenting voices if/as deemed warranted。 Boy was I wrong！ Eric Berkowitz has crafted a terrific and engaging historical analysis of stifling opinion and just how misguided this becomes。 Kudos to Eric for highlighting the importance of this issue and challenging all of us to think more carefully and intensively about the implications of censorship for all of us。
Laura Mazer
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A beautiful writer。 I've long wanted to read such an insightful and clarifying examination of censorship in all its insidious forms。 To anyone who thinks censorship isn't steering our lives every day， I encourage you to read this book。 A beautiful writer。 I've long wanted to read such an insightful and clarifying examination of censorship in all its insidious forms。 To anyone who thinks censorship isn't steering our lives every day， I encourage you to read this book。 。。。more
Stuart Jennings
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A very powerful read。。。Covers the leadership of nations fromtimes long ago to today。。。and the suppression of our rights。。。specifically speech。。。in all of it's forms。。。One of the most powerful books on this subject thatI've ever read。。。Eric Berkowitz has done a magnificent job writing this。。。Highly recommended！ A very powerful read。。。Covers the leadership of nations fromtimes long ago to today。。。and the suppression of our rights。。。specifically speech。。。in all of it's forms。。。One of the most powerful books on this subject thatI've ever read。。。Eric Berkowitz has done a magnificent job writing this。。。Highly recommended！ 。。。more
John Davis
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Dangerous Ideas， by Eric Berkowitz;Beacon Press: Boston; $29。95 hardback Censorship is perhaps the one issue we deal with every day。 Every reader is to some extent influenced by some form of it。 Every writer knows his limits and pushes the frontiers of what's acceptable at his own risk。 Eric Berkowitz， respected author， renowned journalist， and careful lawyer presents a truly wonderful gift， a study of censorship which is not polemical。 It is rather a straightforward， honest， and surprisingly co Dangerous Ideas， by Eric Berkowitz;Beacon Press: Boston; $29。95 hardback Censorship is perhaps the one issue we deal with every day。 Every reader is to some extent influenced by some form of it。 Every writer knows his limits and pushes the frontiers of what's acceptable at his own risk。 Eric Berkowitz， respected author， renowned journalist， and careful lawyer presents a truly wonderful gift， a study of censorship which is not polemical。 It is rather a straightforward， honest， and surprisingly consistent argument which illustrates the point that censorship doesn't work。 Why this is true will be argued clearly and cogently， illustrated with remarkable， not to say shocking revelations。 He has much to work with。 Berkowitz offers a survey of primarily Western attitudes toward censorship。 We discover how the ancients saw words as issuing from the gods。 Thus they were not only influential but illustrative of virtue， or when used improperly， vice。 Yet as he contends， and by extraordinary examples makes abundantly clear， in this 'brief history of censorship in the West， from the ancients to fake news'， censorship reinforced authority。 We follow this thread of the degree of the use of censorship as a sign of stability， or the lack of a sense of security， in governments or institutions of power。 Berkowitz demonstrates that when censorship is not needed， there is virtually no challenge to the ruling authority， class， or social structure。 He shows however that when there is rumbling of disaffection， antagonism or revolution， then censorship is employed。 Its manifestations can be tremendous and varied。 Incredible tortures for religious challengers during the Middle Ages and Renaissance， persecutions of revolutionaries after the invention of the type face by Gutenburg， or exile during the European 1930s are some examples。 The revolutions in France， throughout Europe in the 1800's， and even upheavals to this day reflect how a social system or nation responds to tough questions which challenge its legitimacy。 Berkowitz shows how leaders such as Jefferson， Lincoln and modern American presidents dealt with challenges to their policies。 We follow with simple astonishment at how our censorship laws evolved。 No one who interests himself in modern communication should miss this book。 It is insightful， honest， and can be a powerful influence for those who consider censorship a wise idea。 。。。more
Andréa
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