Book Banning Two

History of Book Banning

The theme of book banning has remained relatively consistent throughout history. Its intention is to restrict access to ideas. The factors that change over time are the motivations behind book banning and the form of its implementation. Book banning is largely controlled and moderated by governing bodies which have the capacity to create and enforce book banning laws. Since the inception of large-scale publishing capabilities, originating from the invention of the Gutenberg Press and the subsequent printing/dissemination of the Gutenberg Bible. Church and civil authorities across Europe became very concerned about the efficiency in which ideas, especially those deemed heretical or unorthodox, could reach a large number of people. This was also during a very divided time in Europe, both religiously and governmentally. During the rise of Protestantism, the Roman Catholic Church quickly became infamous for its strict censorship practices. In 1612, a law was implemented in France that only books approved by the royal authority (which was inherently also church authority) could be printed, and in 1635 the punishment of death was enforced upon those that attempted to print books without permission. Additionally, King Loius XIV declared that all publishing apprentices must be both naturally born French and Roman Catholic.

A common factor that drove civil and church authorities in Europe to adopt censorship practices was a fear of foreigners and alien ideas. In 1534 it became illegal to purchase books from foreign authors, publishers, or sources. This principle holds true across the centuries. Frequently, governing officials feel the need to shield their public from ideas that they consider harmful either to the minds of their subjects or to the stability of their own rule. The reason that simpler censorship practices such as higher taxation and trade restrictions frequently escalate into violent forms of censorship, such as book burning and executions, is because book banning as a whole is largely driven by fear. This is why, today, the push for book censorship largely originates from disgruntled parents who are afraid of their children being exposed to ideas they find harmful to their development or to the type of mindscape they attempt to cultivate within their children. While the interface of book banning is now mostly parents versus public/school libraries, there are echoes of old conflicts between church/civil authority and the realm of free publishing.

Authors/Producers

Authors vs Producers

An author, be definition, is a writer of a literary work. Authors are responsible for writing the content of a book