TY - JOUR
T1 - Political correctness
T2 - the twofold protection of liberalism
AU - Dzenis, Sandra Marlen
AU - Faria, Filipe Nobre
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, The Author(s).
PY - 2020/3/1
Y1 - 2020/3/1
N2 - As understood today, political correctness aims at preventing social discrimination by curtailing offensive speech and behaviour towards underprivileged groups of individuals. The core proponents of political correctness often draw on post-modernism and critical theory and are notorious for their scepticism about objective truth and scientific rationality. Conversely, the critics of post-modern political correctness uphold Enlightenment liberal principles of scientific reasoning, rational truth-seeking and open discourse against claims of relativism and oppression. Yet, both the post-modern proponents and their Enlightenment liberal critics make up two sides of the same phenomenon of political correctness. Both sides intend to protect a liberal value system from illiberal truth-claims, which is the function of politically correct regulation. While post-modern advocates attempt to promote liberating tolerance, Enlightenment liberals place liberal values above the open-ended search for truth. Despite appearances to the contrary, this socio-academic debate is not about two sides favouring and opposing political correctness. In fact, it is a debate about the type of politically correct regulation that can better guard liberal values.
AB - As understood today, political correctness aims at preventing social discrimination by curtailing offensive speech and behaviour towards underprivileged groups of individuals. The core proponents of political correctness often draw on post-modernism and critical theory and are notorious for their scepticism about objective truth and scientific rationality. Conversely, the critics of post-modern political correctness uphold Enlightenment liberal principles of scientific reasoning, rational truth-seeking and open discourse against claims of relativism and oppression. Yet, both the post-modern proponents and their Enlightenment liberal critics make up two sides of the same phenomenon of political correctness. Both sides intend to protect a liberal value system from illiberal truth-claims, which is the function of politically correct regulation. While post-modern advocates attempt to promote liberating tolerance, Enlightenment liberals place liberal values above the open-ended search for truth. Despite appearances to the contrary, this socio-academic debate is not about two sides favouring and opposing political correctness. In fact, it is a debate about the type of politically correct regulation that can better guard liberal values.
KW - Political correctness
KW - Liberal science
KW - Liberating tolerance
KW - Enlightenment
KW - Post-modernism
KW - Politics of speech
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85068075325&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11406-019-00094-4
DO - 10.1007/s11406-019-00094-4
M3 - Article
SN - 0048-3893
VL - 48
SP - 95
EP - 114
JO - Philosophia (United States)
JF - Philosophia (United States)
IS - 1
ER -