Primary Faculty Mentor’s Name
Jenny Flaherty
Session Format
Oral (max. 15 minutes)
Abstract
Milton fought against editors who sought to change his work and the work of others before it was published. The ideas conveyed in the Areopagitica are reflected in contemporary copyright laws and the concept of self-publishing. Specifically, the idea of self-publishing would have appealed to Milton so he could publish his works without constraint. Although he advocated for the people to write despite certain risks, such as censorship, Milton sought to inspire people to change the way society thought, not to display their sometimes ill opinions. The contemporary mediums of social media allow people to post these opinions without restraint, but the risk remains as nothing is private once it is on the internet.
Keywords
Milton, self-publishing, social media, Areopagitica
Award Verification
1
Presentation Year
2017
Publication Type and Release Option
Event
Included in
The Ideas of Milton’s Areopagitica in Contemporary Society
Milton fought against editors who sought to change his work and the work of others before it was published. The ideas conveyed in the Areopagitica are reflected in contemporary copyright laws and the concept of self-publishing. Specifically, the idea of self-publishing would have appealed to Milton so he could publish his works without constraint. Although he advocated for the people to write despite certain risks, such as censorship, Milton sought to inspire people to change the way society thought, not to display their sometimes ill opinions. The contemporary mediums of social media allow people to post these opinions without restraint, but the risk remains as nothing is private once it is on the internet.