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Politically correct (view source)
Revision as of 18:58, September 15, 2007
, 18:58, September 15, 2007no edit summary
'''Politically correct language''', or ''political correctness'', consists of linguistic restrictions imposed by authorities or pressure groups, particularly by [[liberals]]. The modern politically correct movement began at the [[University of Wisconsin-Madison]], one of the most [[liberal]] institutions in the [[United States]]. George Orwell's ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' famously incorporated the notion of limiting thought through language (see [[Newspeak]]).
'''Politically correct language''', or ''political correctness'', consists of linguistic restrictions imposed by authorities or pressure groups, particularly by [[liberals]]. The modern politically correct movement began at the [[University of Wisconsin-Madison]], one of the most [[liberal]] institutions in the [[United States]]. George Orwell's ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' famously incorporated the notion of limiting thought through language (see [[Newspeak]]).
Political correctness (often abbreviated to "polcor" or "PC") is the use of language or behaviour said to be intended to provide a minimum of offence, particularly to racial, gender, cultural, or other identity groups. A text that conforms to the ideas of political correctness is said to be 'politically correct'. Its proponents are often derisively described as the "PC Brigade".
[[Political correctness]] (often abbreviated to "polcor" or "PC") is the use of language or behaviour said to be intended to provide a minimum of offence, particularly to racial, gender, cultural, or other identity groups. A text that conforms to the ideas of political correctness is said to be 'politically correct'. Its proponents are often derisively described as the "PC Brigade".
Political correctness re-emerged on U.S. university campuses during the 1980s and 1990s, and is essentially a politically-motivated programme of attempted language manipulation. It is strongly associated with feminism, post-modernism and the academic left. The term 'PC' is often used to refer to any practice or decision which has been noticably influenced by, or which seeks to promote, a post-modernist, leftist or feminist agenda. However, prescriptive language reform remains one of its key components.
Political correctness re-emerged on U.S. university campuses during the 1980s and 1990s, and is essentially a politically-motivated programme of attempted language manipulation. It is strongly associated with feminism, post-modernism and the academic left. The term 'PC' is often used to refer to any practice or decision which has been noticably influenced by, or which seeks to promote, a post-modernist, leftist or feminist agenda. However, prescriptive language reform remains one of its key components.
The language reforms demanded by polcor advocates are superficially reminiscent of historical - largely conservative and middle-class - attempts to insist upon good manners and polite speech in order to avoid giving offence. However, the language reforms demanded by the PC movement go far beyond mere politeness.
The language reforms demanded by polcor advocates are superficially reminiscent of historical - largely conservative and middle-class - attempts to insist upon good manners and polite speech in order to avoid giving offence. However, the language reforms demanded by the PC movement go far beyond mere politeness.
The theory advocated by polcorists, therefore, is to transform political and social reality by transforming language; if one wants to abolish 'racism', all one needs to do is to abolish 'racist' words or language, and everything else will follow, because people will literally no longer be able to frame racist ideas.
The theory advocated by polcorists, therefore, is to transform political and social reality by transforming language; if one wants to abolish 'racism', all one needs to do is to abolish 'racist' words or language, and everything else will follow, because people will literally no longer be able to frame racist ideas.
What counts as 'politically correct' language changes arbitrarily over time according to the whims of government and awry intellectuals.
What counts as 'politically correct' language changes arbitrarily over time according to the whims of government and awry intellectuals.
==Brainwashing or Conditioning==
[[Political correctness]] is a form of brainwashing or conditioning using manipulative 'inclusive' or 'neutral' language based on the '''Sapir–Whorf Hypothesis''' and upon earlier research at the '''Frankfurt School'''.
===Sapir–Whorf Hypothesis===
The '''Sapir–Whorf Hypothesis''' holds that there is a systematic relationship between language and how a person both understands the world and behaves in it. (Although it has come to be known as the '''Sapir–Whorf Hypothesis''', it rather was an axiom underlying the work of linguist and anthropologist Edward Sapir and his colleague and student Benjamin Whorf.)
It is an academic theory which argues that our language determines our thoughts. ''The idea is that without particular words in which to express them, we will be literally unable to think particular thoughts.'' Put simply, the hypothesis argues that the nature of a particular language influences the habitual thought of its users.
Different patterns of language yield different patterns of thought. It is sometimes expressed as 'language determines thought', suggesting that speakers of another language might have a view of the world very different from our own. The artificial language '''Loglan''' (Logical Language) was originally intended to test the '''Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis'''. The idea was that a logical language would be so different from any natural language that differences in thought should be readily detected, if the '''Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis''' were true.
The science fiction novel ''Babel-17'' imagines an artificial language that can turn its speakers into traitors. In ''Snow Crash'' language hackers can control people’s minds by speaking to them in a special language.
===The Frankfurt School===
[[Political correctness]] started off as a 'think tank', the Institute for Social Research (better known as the '''Frankfurt School'''), in Germany in 1923. Its remit was to apply Freudian brainwashing techniques in spreading spin and propaganda through word manipulation, by changing concepts, and meanings of words, and to taboo the use of certain words. In 1935, after Hitler came to power, the Institute moved to the U.S. where they continued to use Freud's guilt-and-fear conditioning mechanisms to get Americans to buy into [[political correctness]].
This research was quickly taken up by zealots at the University of Wisconsin, Madison (long associated with extremism like [[political correctness]], [[feminism]], and inventing the car bomb) and when the University's chancellor, Donna Shalala, was appointed ''Secretary of Health & Human Services'' by ex-president Bill Clinton she wasted no time in propagating these extremist ideologies.
==History==
[[Liberal]]s impose [[political correctness]] to prevent recognition of differences between men and women, religions, belief systems, and nationalities. In the 1960s, [[feminists]] began to demand that the neutral pronouns ''he'', ''him'' and ''his'' be replaced with expressions like "he or she", "him or her", "them", etc. This was part of their campaign to redefine the social roles traditionally associated with masculinity and femininity.
[[Liberal]]s impose [[political correctness]] to prevent recognition of differences between men and women, religions, belief systems, and nationalities. In the 1960s, [[feminists]] began to demand that the neutral pronouns ''he'', ''him'' and ''his'' be replaced with expressions like "he or she", "him or her", "them", etc. This was part of their campaign to redefine the social roles traditionally associated with masculinity and femininity.