The course of history moves at an ever-increasing pace, now more than ever leaving humankind to devise, develop and discover ways of furthering their understanding of how the world operates. Civilization has developed in a number of different ways, with people having created their own cultures, traditions, languages and traditions. This monumental process has been in active development since the dawn of human life, and with the recent leaps in technology is gaining more and more steam.
The rapid change in technology, discovery and rediscovery of the previous history, and the process of actively redefining what it means to be human, all contribute to the general diversification of the world. As those that like to consider themselves sentient, humans place great value both on their individuality and the collective. While society, in general, is starting to see the trend of dehumanization and the importance placed on general efficiency increases, human values of self-expression and integrity are still regarded highly, and often placed as core considerations in decision-making. With the ability to express oneself in a way unique to them, each individual has an inalienable right for acting in the way they find most suitable. Laws and regulations were made to ensure that people can work in society while also being distinctly different from one another.
A right to free speech, and it’s honoring by society, is one of such abilities given to each person regardless of their status or standing. Freedom of speech and the promotion of global dialogue is often said to be beneficial for society at large, acting as a global platform for voicing and contesting different ideas. For some, it is even an effective method of testing whether an ideology or belief is legitimate, as it allows for people with differing perspectives to hold a debate. However, the notion of free speech is not always viable in society, or able to be exercised to its fullest. In the current Capitalist society, the notion of free speech is not applicable to all people equally and is not effective in bringing attention to the concerns of the many.
Capitalism is the primary and most prominent type of societal structure at the current time. With countries rapidly developing trade and formal relationships, corporations grow as well, expanding onto foreign territory and establishing relations. This process of globalization has a variety of complex effects, both positive and negative. One of such effects, of course, is the concentration of wealth in the hands of a small group of people.
With giant businesses growing further and further, their profits increase proportionally, with leaders and CEOs earning most of the revenue. While the general amount of capital increases, the common people rarely see positive change, and, oftentimes, their conditions are becoming even direr. This can be explained by the ideas proposed by Karl Marx, and his thoughts on capitalism. In man’s eyes, capitalism is one of the phases of societal development, one that is primarily focused on producing goods and procuring capital. The relationship between those responsible for production, and those that direct them is inherently antagonistic, as both parties chase opposite goals.
Workers, while trying to provide for their lives, desire to get paid more for less work, and leaders want to get as much mileage out of them for as little payment as possible. Since the upper class holds the means of production and has the financial backing of their businesses, it can effectively influence society in a large variety of ways. One of such ways, of course, is influencing the media and the government. By establishing connections, and using their influence and resources, rich capital owners are able to reach their political ends much more easily than normal people. This, means, effectively, that rich people are disproportionally represented in positions of power and catered to in society.
This trend is important to the state of free speech and self-expression in society. When a small number of people with much influence have a vested interest in securing and protecting their high position in society, they will often employ the resources under their disposal to influence others. This can mean spreading particular kinds of information, or exacting influence over the media. The tendency of people in power to abuse their position to achieve particular ends is harmful to the ability of those below them to speak their minds, enact change, or advocate for their ideas. Furthermore, the increased access to means of spreading information, and resources for voicing one’s opinion make that person inherently more able to speak their mind. The existence of different classes in society, and the financial inequality that comes with it invertedly limits free speech.
Due to the way Capitalist society allows for the creation of mega-corporations and unequal distribution of wealth, it is at its core unable to truly assimilate the notion of free speech. In theory, any person can speak their mind without fear of persecution of silencing, but that does not mean that they will be heard by others, or regarded to be notable in their rhetoric. The legality of free speech is protected on paper while being ultimately unattainable in practice.
The notion of social solidarity is important in this discussion, as it can be used to understand one of the main problems faced in many capitalist countries. Émile Durkheim, a thinker has proposed that societies grow in complexity over time, slowly developing in the process of dividing labor. In his eyes, simple societies are organized in a way where people perform similar roles and are united in their actions and spirit. This changes in later stages of societal development, as organizational practices, become more complex and people start to divide roles among themselves. The division of people has re-shaped their relationships, forming a complex web of needs and requirements.
For this discussion, it is needed to note that the division of labor as a process can make people less able to advocate for a united topic. Those that perform different duties are often seen as the other, not fully understood and unlike oneself, which can often hinder people’s ability to cooperate. The lack of unitedness affects the common people’s ability to change society or influence it in a noticeable way, due to the number of disagreements and in-fighting that can occur.
The division of labor, and the division of people in accordance with what they must do work to disorganize individuals, and stops them from realizing the importance of working for a common goal. The common people, unable to fully cooperate or reach understanding, do not have a public voice to express their concerns, or change society. This way, the changes in solidarity proposed by Durkheim work to undermine the notion of freedom of speech.
In conclusion, the use of free speech in late Capitalism is limited and unable to effectively serve its explicit purpose. With a society that is rapidly developing toward efficiency, corporations become more and more influential and prominent. Their owners and leaders, as figures with a large social network and access to funds, have a much bigger range of influence than the rest of society. Those in the positions of power are able to push their agenda and advocate for what is in their interests, while those below them are drifting further apart. Better collective action and organization are needed to make sure the opinion of the majority is heard and respected.