Throughout human history, one of the major driving forces in political evolution is the ability of society to tolerate disagreement. The ability to allow people to say, "I do not like this. Therefore, I will have it changed." This is what led to the liberating philosophy and early democracy of the Greeks, the rule of law in Rome, and the signing of the Magna Carta in medieval England.
             Early societies were crude, and freedom of speech was neither oppressed nor protected. As civilization began to evolve, non-conformism was sometimes perceived as a threat to the established order. However, it was not until the late Middle Ages that anyone paid attention to dissention. As the Middle Ages drew to a close, the populace became increasingly more knowledgeable. This provoked more discussion about beliefs long held to be valid, especially those concerning religious doctrine. The Catholic Church reacted to this threat to orthodoxy by persecuting people who spoke against it. Such dissenters were branded heretics. The state, which had become accustomed to using the church to support its policies, also tried to curb the rising wave of dissenters. Such restrictions only brought the more moderate people to doubt the wisdom of their temporal and spiritual rulers. The dissention within the church ranks was spearheaded by Martin Luther in Germany, and John Calvin in Switzerland. The religious reformation that came about as a result of their activities is still with us today.
             Later, in the early and middle eighteenth century, there was a group of thinkers in France who were called 'les philosophes'. Their leaders were Jean Jacques Rousseau, Denis Diderot, and Francois Voltaire. They wrote about the 'natural' rights of man, which included freedom of speech and religion. Voltaire exemplified their thinking when he said, "I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend
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