Present article attempts to reveal the approaches to describing the “freedom of speech” concept. It focuses of the theoretical directions that explain the specifics of its development and realization. One of the key messages of the work is the statement that the concept is related to cultural, political, ideological and other affirmations and processes, which are common for the society. Therefore, freedom of speech is addressed as a political, philosophical, legal, ideological and religious phenomenon. Methodology of the study is based on the analysis and generalization of a system of historic and modern documents that reveal various aspects of freedom of speech in the context of social and political processes. The use of structural-functional and systemic approaches allows revealing the dependence of the phenomenon’s separate elements (comprehension and various manifestations of freedom of speech) from its place and functions in the system of social relations. The results of the study allow making the conclu