8 values

Human Liberty and Freedom of Speech

While reading about speech theories that talks about the 8 values the one that stood out to me the most was Individual Self-Fulfillment or self-actualization. Edwin Baker was the one who talk about this value in, Human Liberty and Freedom of Speech. It says "Free speech enables individuals to express themselves and thereby create their own identify — and, in the process perhaps, find kindred spirits. Freedom of speech thus becomes an aspect of human dignity, human agency and autonomy." 

I find this value the most important because I think it is what makes up you. Baker talks about how the first amendment was designed mostly to protect people of political speech and I think that is true and I really believe and want to embrace his liberty model. Baker's liberty model says “Speech or other self expressive conduct is protected not as a means to achieve a collective good but because of its value to the individual”. It talks about how freedom of speech becomes apart of human dignity, agency, and autonomy and I think that is very much true because what we say and express is all based on beliefs, our thoughts, our values, and anything else that we have in our minds. Freedom of speech is what we want to express and it is how we create our own self and it makes us become who we are. 

I think this value is most inspiring because it reminds me of how powerful words can be. It inspires me to speak more of what I want to say rather than what OTHERS expect me to say. This value inspires me to dive more into my self and reflect on what I really say and believe. 
This value I think can be overlooked and underrated my the other values because people will find importance in other ones like such as Marketplace for Ideas or Promote Innovation. It also lacks factual situations, for it it mainly a theory. Many people might rank the value of, Individual Self-Fulfillment because they can tend to put success or power higher on the scale of their importance. Like I said before this value inspires me to express myself and what I believe and that is why it gives meaning to me and why it is so meaningful. 

Sources: 
https://mtsu.edu/first-amendment/article/998/liberty-model
C. Edwin Baker, Human Liberty and Freedom of Speech