On the Freedom of Ideas: A Review of Fruitless Attempts to Restrict Innovation

"My Greatest Friend is Truth"
Poster by Mary Bowers

To the members of the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary,

We need to talk. Last week on December 10th you held a hearing to evaluate granting law enforcement "lawful access" to the encrypted devices and communications of American citizens. I am not writing to you about how bad of an idea this is (as many have already done) - instead I am writing to explain why I do not believe legislated access to encrypted data will help law enforcement officers.

Encryption is not simply a series of related products offered by Facebook or Google, it is a wide field of mathematical study that has largely been held in the public sphere of academic discourse. It is for this reason that adding these lawful access mechanisms (commonly called "backdoors") rarely works as expected: the information is already out there, so those inclined to keep their communications secret can either use another encrypted product or implement their own.

Chiaroscuro: Contrast Between the Gothic and the Fantastic

Chiaroscuro is a technique in art that uses strong contrasts between light and dark to bring more interest to a composition. This balance of light and dark has been a common theme throughout history, but one of the periods that demonstrates this well is the Romantic. During this period there was a sudden blossoming of publishing, and the rise of the novel gave way to two distinct styles: the Gothic and the Fantastical.

These two genres both stem from an abundance of imagination: one exploring our highest hopes, and the other unearthing our darkest fears. Together they clearly show the notions and ideals of the period. The American and French Revolutions were characterized by a spirit of Rebellion and Freedom, and this led to the rhetorical criticism of society and the imagination of new ideas. Many Romantic heroes and horrors came from this new originality; simultaneously producing fantastical stories of Arthurian legend while introducing the world to horrors such as Frankenstein’s monster.

Personal Exploration and the Unknown Frontier

Portrait of Marie Curie, by R. chido Hanečková

As expeditionary voyages became more common during the early Renaissance period this sense of exploration spread across the land.  It permeated the cultural atmosphere of Europe and led to a fascination with discovery. People were excited - and rightly so - as these explorers would bring back new ideas, new stories, and new possibilities.

But physical exploration isn't the only way to discover new worlds of possibility.  During the Reformation many people found their world expanded with a similar set of new possibilities: religious and ideological freedoms.  This brave new world of ideas and opportunity would be just as inspiring to the reformers as those voyages had been to the watching public.

Fantasy and Fiction: Finding Utopia in Imaginary Worlds

Utopia in History

In 1516 Thomas More published Utopia, which depicts the traditions and laws of an island nation by the same name.  In many ways this book represents the beginning of a new type of fiction: one in which the reader is invited to explore a world entirely apart from their own.

Since then the word "utopia" has taken on many meanings.  We often hear about utopias in our religious discussions, or argue politically about how to make our world more utopian.  Even more often we see flawed utopias depicted in our fiction - usually as a way of exploring issues that come from our own society.  This trope has become so common that it's exhausting now.

But there is one genre where I still find the idea of utopia to be not only bearable, but incredibly satisfying.  This is a genre that goes back to the themes of exploration and new worlds that first inspired More, and once again invites its audience to join the author in exploring a new world together.