Censorship

At various times in history, the church and the state have tried to suppress ideas they considered dangerous. In early Renaissance Europe, most censorship was political. Government officials often punished those who criticized them. However, rulers and churches did not usually censor works on the basis of their religious or moral content until the 1500s, when the Protestant Reformation* divided Europe politically and religiously. By 1600, religious and political censorship in Europe was stronger than it had been a century earlier. However, it never totally stopped the spread of dissenting* views.

Censorship in the Early Renaissance. During the 1400s, the main question of censorship involved classical* literature. Many people wondered whether readers should be exposed to stories that praised the pagan* gods and glorified their immoral behavior. Humanists* argued that everyone should read the classics. They believed that the immoral behavior in the stories was not to be taken literally. In fact, they thought that the stories would inspire readers to be more virtuous. Aside from removing some racy passages from books for children, the humanists did not see a reason for censorship.

Humanists and other readers took a similar, hands-off approach to more modern works that people might read for pleasure. Books such as the Decameron, a collection of stories by Italian writer Giovanni BOCCACCIO, contained a great deal of improper behavior, including open sex and adultery. In some texts, nuns and monks also ignored their vows of chastity*. There was even some pornographic literature at this time. No one made attempts to censor these books until the late 1500s.

At the same time, political censorship was widespread. People did not dare to criticize their rulers openly. Even if the government did not specifically forbid such criticism, it might view such writings as treason and punish their authors. In order to speak out against their own leaders, people had to publish their work anonymously or leave the territory that their government controlled. Political censorship grew stronger in the late 1500s, as governments tried to stop the spread of pamphlets attacking rulers and promoting rebellion.

Philosophical Differences. Around 1500 some Italian philosophers set off a debate about whether the church should censor certain philosophical ideas. The Roman Catholic Church taught that the soul was immortal, but these thinkers claimed that reason alone could not prove this idea. In 1513 the Catholic Church declared that the soul was immortal and set up its own guidelines for any teachings on the subject. The church left philosophers to discuss other ideas freely, as long as they did not claim that their views disproved church teachings.

The trial of astronomer Galileo GALILEI in 1633 is a famous example of philosophical censorship during the Renaissance. Galileo had stated that the Earth revolved around the Sun, contradicting church teachings that held that the Sun traveled around the Earth. The church brought Galileo to trial for teaching that his Sun-centered system was a physical truth. As part of his defense, Galileo claimed that his system was only a theory, not a physical truth. However, the religious leaders were not satisfied with his argument. They made him give up his system, they forbade him to write about it, and they banned his existing writings on the subject.

Religious Censorship. After the Protestant Reformation, both Protestants and Catholics used the printing press as a means to spread their views. Therefore, both sides tried to control the press. In 1559 the pope established the INDEX OF PROHIBITED BOOKS, the main tool of censorship in the Catholic Church. The index was a list of authors and titles that Catholics could not print, read, or even keep. It also listed books that contained some errors but were still mostly acceptable. Catholics could own and read these books if the offensive parts were removed. The index included rules for publishing new books and for judging books from foreign presses. It banned books with ideas the church considered heretical* or counter to Christian morality.

Although Protestants did not publish one list of forbidden books, each Protestant state created its own censorship policies. They banned the publication, importing, and ownership of Catholic works—and sometimes the works of other Protestants. Protestant censors also prohibited works that they considered immoral.

Both Protestant and Catholic churches and states also censored the material that was taught in their universities and preached in their churches. Scholars often had to accept changes from censors before they could publish their works. However, although Catholic and Protestant states could block the publication of forbidden works, they had less success preventing people from reading and owning them. Book smuggling became widespread during the Renaissance.

Censorship in England. In the 1500s, power in England shifted back and forth between Protestant and Catholic rulers. When HENRY VIII formed a new English church in the 1530s, Parliament outlawed writings by European Protestants, whose views contradicted Henry's traditional religious doctrines. It also required that books printed in England be approved and licensed by the government. When EDWARD VI took the throne in 1547, he called a halt to censorship. The result was a brief explosion of all kinds of printing in England. However, Edward became concerned about immorality in printed material. In 1551, he proclaimed that all texts needed to have the approval of the government before printing.

When MARY I came to power in 1553, she ended Protestant reforms and brought Catholicism back to England. In 1555 she issued a proclamation forbidding Protestant writings. It gave bishops and local officials the authority "to enter into the house or houses, closets, and secret places of every person" to find Protestant texts. Many people opposed Mary's policies. In response, Parliament expanded existing laws against treason to forbid all writings that threatened or criticized the monarchy.

During the reign of ELIZABETH I (1558–1603), Parliament established a national Protestant church in England and placed it under the control of the monarch. Under Elizabeth, the government continued to censor all criticism of the monarchy. Elizabeth used the Court of High Commission to control opposition to her religious policies, including printed criticism. The court became responsible for approving works before they went to press. It also had the authority to approve requests for establishing new printing presses. However, another organization—the London Company of Stationers—did the real work of licensing presses.

A royal charter created the London Company of Stationers in 1557 and made it the only legal printing company in England. The company had the authority to shut down illegal printers. It benefited enormously from this monopoly*. In return, it agreed not to print texts that attacked the government. It also required official approval before printing texts, especially religious, political, and foreign works. By stopping other presses in England and by allowing itself to be censored, the London Company of Stationers helped the government keep unwanted works out of print.

Censorship

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