Political Correctness

Political correctness, or PC, exists as an unspoken rule governing acts of communication that are perceived detrimental to the advancement of individuals based solely on their occupational preferences, sexual orientation, religious proclivity, physical infirmities, cultural traditions, inherent belief systems/ ideological stance, chronological age, etcetera. Precepts relevant to the application of such philosophies are predicated on an avoidance of expressions or actions deemed to exclude or marginalize individuals perceived to be socially disadvantaged.

Examples of language/ interpretive phrases endemic to the concept of Political Correctness in a modern setting:

Intellectually disabled, mentally challenged, or otherwise cognitively impaired substituted for pejorative assessments deemed to be dehumanizing to individuals afflicted with such infirmities - such terminological nomenclature effectively replaces the following descriptors: retarded, spastic, slow, etcetera.

African American as a term of distinction rather than the utilization of its linguistic predecessors housing a similar ethnic connotation such as the following: black or negro.

Native American or American Indian in the United States and First Nations in Canada in place of the “Indian” descriptor.

Terms deemed to exhibit gender neutrality in the context of one’s occupational preference, such as “firefighter” in place of fireman or “police officer” instead of policeman. The concept of gender neutrality gained acceptance primarily due to the Feminist Movement which, in its earliest incarnation, sought equality for women in varying degrees of influence within the prevailing societal demographic.

Vernacular descriptors denoting an absence of capability relevant to the concept of sensory stimulation such as “blind” or “deaf” - through the application of political correctness these pejorative assessments experienced a type of linguistic revision in that such terms became synonymous with visual impairment or auditory deficiency.

Holiday celebrations such as Christmas also experienced revision, in that such terms were deemed offensive to individuals of contrasting beliefs or traditions - the application of political correctness in this sense fundamentally transformed this terminological appellate via the following descriptors: “Holiday Season”, “Winter”, or “Festive Occasion.”

Philip Atkinson, philosopher and author of A Study Of Our Decline, employed the following description referencing the application of political correctness in a modern setting:

“...is the communal tyranny that erupted in the 1980s. It was a spontaneous declaration that particular ideas, expressions and behavior, which were then legal, should be forbidden by law, and people who transgressed should be punished. It started with a few voices but grew in popularity until it became unwritten and written law within the community. With those who were publicly declared as being not politically correct becoming the object of persecution by the mob, if not prosecution by the state.”

The concept of Newspeak in George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four existed as the application of political correctness as an instrument of subconscious manipulation that was accomplished through the limitation of thought via linguistic implementation.