The Index of Prohibited Books: Liberty, License, and the Common Good; Part One -- A Case for the Index

In today's panel topic on 'The Index of Prohibited Books: Liberty, License, and the Common Good,' the first part will be an argument that at least one form of censorship, namely that the Roman Catholic Church's Index Librorum Prohibitorum, actually fosters authentic human freedom. I will begin with a history of the Index, including its present authority, then present an argument demonstrating why the Index fosters freedom. I will close with a few remarks that I hope will provide a segue for my colleague's alternative view on censorship.