Marquette University - Hilltop Yearbook (Milwaukee, WI)

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Freedom of Expression Expression is the trademark of man. Expression is a sign of intellectual thought and of free will, powers which are uniquely man’s. Because of these powers and because of the common ends of men, man is said to be a social person. He does not walk alone in this world; he shares his existence and his ideas with other men. Thus, expression is a very important power. It is so important that man's natural right to express himself is inalienable. Man is free to express what should be expressed. It must always be kept in mind that freedom of expression is not freedom to say what one chooses to say. That is not freedom but license and would result in the evils of heresy, licentiousness and detraction. A rational being must communicate reasonably. A social being must communicate within the limits of the common good of his society. Man, being both rational and social, must then communicate according to the dictates of his reason and according to the good of his society. Only then will he be truly free, because only then will he be acting according to his nature. A person is most free when he is perfecting his own nature. When man chooses to express what is good, he is exercising the glorious freedom of self perfection. This exercise can only be externally abridged and in such forms as censorship and tyranny. Since freedom of expression involves the communication of what ought to be communi- cated, it is clear that man has certain duties, as well as rights, regarding expression. Man, the free agent can express what he wants to. But man. tlie responsible agent, must express only what is morally good. Bound by reality, man should communicate only the truth. He should never lie. He should not remain silent when injustice or evil threatens. Man is subject to authority and has the duty of obedience, a duty which must often limit his exercise of the right of expression. Most of all, man must be cliaritable in his expression. The violence of expression is a violence unequalled by any physical one. It can cloud the brightness of a good name; worse, it can ruin a human soul. Expression is not free unless charitable, for the man wlio communicates uncharitably is a slave to sin. Expression presupposes knowledge, so a university training is clearly important to freedom of expression. The chief limitation to communication is the lack of something to communicate. A man cannot express what he does not know. A university training greatly encourages freedom of expression by helping to remove the shackles of ignorance. And in doing this, a university education also lessens the danger of external suppression. Censorship and suppression are less often necessary among good and intelligent men. Too reasonable to communicate improperly, they are a law unto themselves. Finally, a university training ad-

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available for specialized research. Marquette provides occasions for her instructors to promote their views through frequent faculty-administration conferences. She recognizes the men and women on her faculty as necessary parts of a whole anti, therefore, does not seek to dominate them. The other aspect of academic freedom involves the student. His life at the university is a gradual liberating process. Whereas at first the wisdom and experience of the faculty and administration substitute for the lack of wisdom and experience in the student, as the student progresses in his education, he is given more responsibility and more freedom of action. Throughout his university career, the student is free to remain in the university or to leave the university, to study or not to study, to study well or to study poorly. Although the intellect is naturally compelled to accept the truth when it is known, and although the student is taught that to know some things is better than to know other things, yet the student is free to choose one branch of specialized knowledge rather than another. Thus, the Marquette student benefits from the obligation which his University has imposed upon herself—of possessing, communicating, and increasing knowledge. He is offered a variety of paths to the truth-philosophy, theology, art. science. He is forced to accept no one of them, but is encouraged to think through to the truth in whatever field he judges to l e lx st in accord with his own inclinations and abilities. At Marquette, a student may choose his own courses. He may seek advice from any teacher. He may participate freely in classroom discussions. The student may do research on his own and set forth his findings in papers he writes. He may conduct experiments and, in so doing, seek any extra help he wishes. In fulfilling her educational obligations, Marquette affords academic freedom to Ixith teacher and student. In the process, she remains close to her dedicated purpose-of teaching what is true. The paths to truth are many, but the ultimate goal is the same. The means to achieve it through knowledge, can constantly be advanced. Marquette is ever watchful to increase knowledge through her faculty as well as in her students. By doing this, she expands the truth and disseminates it widely, thus serving not only her own community, but her state, her nation, and the world.

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vances freedom of expression by giving the opportunity to practice expression. In that sense, the university is a virtual spur to free expression. Especially is Marquette University a boon to free expression. Here at Marquette, we can receive a liberal education. The very essence of a liberal education is freedom—intellectual freedom, freedom from ignorance and narrow mindedness. If our minds are liberally educated, our expressions will also be liberal, for expression is an externalization of ideas. Liberal expression is just another way of saying free expression. Another notion is pertinent here. Marquette is a place of intellectual wholeness. A law student does not learn only about law, nor does a medical student study only medicine. They both acquire a common knowledge in the liberal arts. Hence they have something in common, a fact which is very significant. For this common knowledge gives them a common factor of communication. In this way, Marquette is performing a great service for the community. Marquette assures communication between various fields of endeavor by giving these various specialists something common to discuss. In thus freeing their minds from the limitation of specialty. Marquette is greatly promoting freedom of expression. It is hardly necessary to elaborate upon the other ways in which Marquette quickens freedom of expression. They are so obvious. Even time a Marquette student expresses himself in some University organization, Marquette is fostering this freedom. Class discussions, writing assignments, publications, student government, debate squads, essay contests and many other activities provide opportunities for student expression. Such enumeration is mere repetition of one very sound idea, that the way to ensure freedom of expression is to practice expression, just as the way to ensure freedom of action (virtue) is to practice virtue. Marquette has strongly adhered to this idea and is therefore a strongliold of free expression. Upon leaving Marquette, a sincere graduate cannot help but be somewhat experienced in communicating with his fellowinen. He has had the practice. More than that, be has the one thing indispensable to free expression, a mind free from the ignorance of bias and prejudice and a mind so developed that it properly sees the working proportion of freedom needed to balance the God-given autltority of Church and State. Most of all, the Marquette graduate recognizes the Source of his freedom and realizes that the truest expression, the expression that is most free, is the expression of gratitude for the gift of freedom.