# Areopagitica

_A Speech for the Liberty of Unlicensed Printing to the Parliament of England_

By John Milton.

"Areopagitica" by John Milton is a prose polemic published in 1644 opposing government censorship of printed works. Written during the English Civil War, this impassioned defense challenges Parliament's licensing order requiring pre-publication approval. Milton argues that free access to all ideas—even controversial ones—allows individuals to exercise reason and judgment. Drawing on biblical and classical references, he contends that truth emerges through open discussion rather than state control. This work became one of history's most influential arguments for freedom of speech and expression. (Summary by Project Gutenberg, written by machine.)

- Language: English
- Subjects: Freedom of the press -- Early works to 1800

[Read it](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/books/gutenberg/608/read)
[Plain text](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/api/books/gutenberg/608/text)

## Audiobooks of it

- [Areopagitica](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/books/librivox/2267) by John Milton (2 h 1 min, English)
- [Areopagitica (Version 2)](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/books/librivox/7570) by John Milton (2 h 47 min, English)

From Project Gutenberg. Public domain in the United States.