Virginia Postrel

Congress periodically holds hearings to question those in the entertainment industry about the amount of sex and violence in their films, music, and games, threatening to impose censorship if they do not regulate themselves. In the following viewpoint, Virginia Postrel argues against such calls for censorship. She notes that criteria for censorship are subjective; what one person considers objectionable another may believe is worth keeping. Furthermore, she maintains that if artists are censored—self-imposed or otherwise—who knows what masterpieces will be lost to society? Postrel is editor of Reason, a libertarian magazine.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. Why did the English parliament close the playhouses in 1642, as cited by the author?
2. According to Postrel, how is the Clinton administration attempting to eliminate products from the marketplace"
3. Why...