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THETRUTHOFSPORT
seemedtypicalandatthesametimeridiculousfromtheviewpointofascholar
conductiveobjectiveresearchonanysubjectincludingcertainlysportshistory.
Tispressureofthehighestpoliticalandideologicalinstitutionwasacceptable
andseemednormalbyscholarsbelievinginCommunism;whereasforothers,
moreindependentones,itwassimplyunbearableburdencausingintellectual
tensionandinternalprotest,which,however,couldhavehardlybeenexpressed
intheirpublicationsduetostrictcensorship.
TeCommunistauthoritiescertainlywerenotconvincedadherentsofJohn
Milton)sAreopagitica,inwhichthefamousEnglishpoetandpoliticalwriterde-
fendedthelibertytoseektruthinopendebatewhichcouldincludediferent
viewsandoptionsalsoinanysciences.Areopagitica,alsoknownofciallyas
theSpeechofMr.JohnMiltonfortheLibertyofUnlicens)dPrintingtotheParla-
ment(!)ofEngland,wasprintedin1644.24Miltonusedashismottoaquotation
fromtheGreekplaywrightEuripidesandhisdramaHiketides:
TisistrueLibertywhenfreebornmen
Havingtoadvisethepublicmayspeakfree,
Whichhe,whocan,andwill,deserv)shighpraise,
Whoneithercannorwill,mayholdhispeace;
WhatcanbejusterinaStatethenthis?25
Areopagiticaisatractdefendingfreedomofthepressandspeech.Itstextis
undoubtedlyoneofthemainpillarsofthemodernWesternconceptsofde-
mocracyandhumanrights.ApartfromthegeneraldiscussiononWhyfree-
domisnecessaryMiltondevotedmuchattentiontothosesectorsofintellectual
freedomwhichevennowcanpertaintofreedomofscience,forexample,in
chaptersOnthevalueofintellectualdiversityanddebate,andofitscontribution
totheoveralladvancementoflearningorOntheimportanceofevenwrongideas.
Finally,oneofMilton)sparagraphistitledTruthwillwinout.Tefollowingex-
24Tetitleofthetractalludestotheancientnameareopagus,i.e.thehightribunalheldonthehillbearing
thisnameinAthens.Areopagiticathenmeansapproximatelyuspeechinareopagus”consideredanan-
cientequivalentormetaphorforthemodernParliament.AreopagiticaalsoalludestotheAreopagitikos-
AreopaticDiscoursewrittenbytheGreekoratorIsocratesaround355BC,inwhichheurgedachangein
Athenianpolicyuponthegoverningbody.Isocrates,inawaysimilartoMilton,wasconvincedthatthe
moralgoalsofanypolicyshouldtranscendtheparochialpurposesofanypoliticalpartyandprovide
menwithclear-cutfreedomsandethicalstandards.Areopagitica,wasalsoknownofciallyastheSpeech
ofMr.JohnMiltonfortheLibertyofUnlicens)dPrintingtotheParlament(!)ofEngland,andwasprinted
in1644.AllquotationsfromAreopagiticainthisbookaretakenfrom:GreatBooksoftheWesternWorld,
M.J.Adler,vol.XXIX,Chicago1991,pp.383-399.
25SeefrontcoverofAreopagitica,subtitled:SpeechofMr.JohnMiltonfortheLibertyofUnlicens)dPrinting
totheParlament(!)ofEngland,London1644.
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