Political Correctness

Political Correctness

Political correctness is a political ideology, nothing more. I believe political correctness is a political ideology and it cannot be correct unless it is linked to genuine transformation. First, I will examine the origins of political correctness to try to get a clear understanding of what this movement is. Second, I will show you that political correctness is political and how it became a political ideology. Lastly, I shall discuss why this ideology does not work.

Political correctness is cultural Marxism. Marx, as cited in Introduction to Social Science course guide, believed that if people were left to work on their own they would be more efficient. He had an ideological belief that laborers could actually want to work hard without being forced to. Political correctness as noted by Lind (www.university.org) is just Marxism converted from economic into cultural terms. This is how far back one has to look in order to understand how political correctness came about.

Political correctness goes back further than just twenty years ago as Cameron (1995) stated. I believe it started even before the nineteen sixties. As Lind noted it probably can be traced back to World War one. Lind noted the Marxist theory that when the First World War came the working class would over throw the bourgeoisie government. However, this did not happen. In 1923 as Lind further notes, a “think-tank” was established in Germany and took on the role of translating Marxism from economic into cultural terms, which created political correctness, as we know it today. An institute for Marxism was formed however the people who started this institute decided it was better not to openly identify it as a Marxist institute. The last thing political correctness wants is for people to figure out it is a form of Marxism. As Cameron stated, ” The people who are characterized as adherents of the ‘political correctness movement’ strenuously deny that any such movement exist”. So instead, they decided to name it The Institute for Social Research. And so the question of “Critical theory “began. This theory is simply about criticizing. As Lind states, it calls for “the most destructive criticism possible, in every possible way, designed to bring current order down”.

How does this “critical theory” get to the rest of the world? Well, in 1933, the Nazis come into power and not surp...

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...e that? That is how political correctness is. It does not work unless people’s ideas change.

In conclusion, it is clear that Political correctness dates back to World War one and was formed by ideological beliefs. Political Correctness’s true meaning has been forgotten. It has become a political movement, which limits thoughts. Ideologies are political beliefs and Political correctness is exactly that. An ideology, which cannot be correct unless attitudes change. Political correctness is therefore political and genuine transformation needs to take place before it can ever be correct.

References:

· Cameron D. (1995)’Civility and its discontents: language and political correctness”’ in Verbal Hygiene London, Routledge, 116-211

· Clark I (1997)”Writing about Diversity”, 369-404

· Freud B, Hughes H, Moore D,”Introduction to Social Science Course Guide 2”, University of Natal, 1-48

· Mackenzie I (1994)”Introduction’ on Eccleshall R et al Political Ideologies: an introduction London Routledge

· Molyneux J. (1993)”The ‘politically correct’ controversy” in International Socialism, Socialist Workers Party, 45-71

· Orwell G, (1948) “The Principles of Newspeak” An appendix to 1984