Political Correctness Geoffrey Hughes has brought together with great panache the very many manifestations of political correctness, both absurd and vicious, and shown how they express a single collective mind-set. His book establishes beyond doubt that there is such a phenomenon, that it has become dominant in our culture, and that it represents a growing tendency to censor public debate and to prevent people from questioning orthodoxies which we all know to be false. Roger Scruton, American Enterprise Institute What a joy this book is! Hughes study traces, with unflagging zest, the modern history of PC. Sumptuous in data, in judgment precise, this is the latest and fullest of Hughes series on the social history of language. Walter Nash, Professor Emeritus, University of Nottingham Political Correctness is now an everyday phrase and part of the modern mindset. Everyone thinks they know what it means, but its own meaning constantly shifts. Its surprising origins have led to it becoming integrated into contemporary culture in ways that are both idealistic and ridiculous. Originally grounded in respect for difference and sensitivity to suffering, it has often become a distraction and even a silencer of genuine issues, provoking satire and parody. In this carefully researched, thought-provoking book, Geoffrey Hughes examines the trajectory of political correctness and its impact on public life. Exploring the origins, progress, content, and style of PC, Hughes journey leads us through authors as diverse as Chaucer, Shakespeare and Swift; Philip Larkin, David Mamet, and J.M. Coetzee; from nursery rhymes to Spike Lee films. Focusing on the historical, semantic, and cultural aspects of political correctness, this outstanding and unique work will intrigue anyone interested in this ongoing debate.

Political Correctness"Geoffrey Hughes has brought together with great panache the very many manifestations of political correctness, both absurd and vicious, and shown how they express a single collective mind-set. His book establishes beyond doubt that there is such a phenomenon, that it has become dominant in our culture, and that it represents a growing tendency to censor public debate and to prevent people from questioning orthodoxies which we all know to be false."Roger Scruton, American Enterprise Institute"What a joy this book is! Hughes' study traces, with unflagging zest, the modern history of PC. Sumptuous in data, in judgment precise, this is the latest and fullest of Hughes' series on the social history of language."Walter Nash, Professor Emeritus, University of NottinghamPolitical Correctness is now an everyday phrase and part of the modern mindset. Everyone thinks they know what it means, but its own meaning constantly shifts. Its surprising origins have led to it becoming integrated into contemporary culture in ways that are both idealistic and ridiculous. Originally grounded in respect for difference and sensitivity to suffering, it has often become a distraction and even a silencer of genuine issues, provoking satire and parody. In this carefully researched, thought-provoking book, Geoffrey Hughes examines the trajectory of political correctness and its impact on public life.Exploring the origins, progress, content, and style of PC, Hughes' journey leads us through authors as diverse as Chaucer, Shakespeare and Swift; Philip Larkin, David Mamet, and J.M. Coetzee; from nursery rhymes to Spike Lee films. Focusing on the historical, semantic, and cultural aspects of political correctness, this outstanding and unique work will intrigue anyone interested in this ongoing debate.

Preface viiiAcknowledgments xiiEpigraphs xiiiPart I Political Correctness and its Origins 1Chapter 1 Defining Political Correctness 3Chapter 2 The Origins and the Debate 60Part II The Semantic Aspect 85Chapter 3 Words and Authorities: Dictionaries and Lexicographers87Chapter 4 The Evolution of the Word Field 106Part III Zones of Controversy 113Chapter 5 Issues of Race, Nationality, and Difference 115Chapter 6 Agendas Old and New 178Part IV Cultural and Historical Issues 215Chapter 7 Political Correctness in the Past 217Chapter 8 Culture 236Conclusion: The Right Thing to Do? Progressive Orthodoxy, EmptyConvention or Double Standard? 283Bibliography 298Author and Subject Index 309Word Index 317