Danubius International Conferences, 12th International Conference on European Integration - Realities and Perspectives

Freedom of Speech - between Liberty and Intolerance

Delia Alexandra Glavaschi, Alexandra Bulgaru, Anatoli Simion
Last modified: 2017-03-28

Abstract

Developing the present research, we took into consideration the importance freedom of speech has. The opportunity an individual has to express his true feelings and thoughts is a matter of the human being’s essence and it is considered a natural right. Even so, throughout man’s existence, the individual met enclosure in benefiting from his natural freedom of speech way too many times, people being severely punished for their attempts at expressing their true feelings and ideas. The gesture was often considered defiant. 

In Romania, one’s right to free speech ceased to be censored in the post-communism era, fact which induced us the necessity of exposing how one’s freedom of speech was perceived and enclosed in the communist era.

Another topic addressed in this paper is related to the extent of freedom of expression. If in the past, expressing our opinions lead to an enclosed freedom of speech, nowadays we have the issue of those using this natural right abusively. People often use their freedom of speech without thinking clear, which leads to damaging another individual’s rights and personal values, such as their personal dignity, the right to privacy, religion and many more.

Consequently, we are found in the situation of naturally asking ourselves : Should we limit the freedom of speech? And if so, what would the extent of this natural right be?