History of Political Correctness Part 1

This section of our review of Political Correctness will present two views of the origin of the word, and then discuss which is more plausible. The first comes from "The Myth of Political Correctness: The Conservative Attack on Higher Education" written by John K. Wilson, Published by Duke University Press.

"The words first appeared two centuries ago in the 1793 Supreme Court case Chisholm v. Georgia, which upheld the right of a citizen to sue another state. Justice James Wilson wrote an opinion in which he objected to the wording of a common toast: " 'The United States' instead of the 'People of the United States' is the toast given. This is not politically correct." Wilson's use of the term was quite literal. He felt that the people, not the states, held the true authority of the United States, and therefore a toast to the states violated the "correct" political theory. Supporters of states' rights did not concur, and the Eleventh Amendment was passed to overturn the Chisholm decision. And the phrase politically correct quickly faded from memory."

Let's compare that to Agustin Blazquez's (with the collaboration of Jaums Sutton) article on the origin of Political Correctness, entitled "Political Correctness: The Scourge of Our Times."

"Does anyone know the origins of Political Correctness? Who originally developed it and what was its purpose?
I looked it up. It was developed at the Institute for Social Research in Frankfurt, Germany, which was founded in 1923 and came to be known as the "Frankfurt School." It was a group of thinkers who pulled together to find a solution to the biggest problem facing the implementers of communism in Russia.

The problem? Why wasn't communism spreading?

Their answer? Because Western Civilization was in its way.

What was the problem with Western Civilization? Its belief in the individual, that an individual could develop valid ideas. At the root of communism was the theory that all valid ideas come from the effect of the social group of the masses. The individual is nothing.

And they believed that the only way for communism to advance was to help (or force, if necessary) Western Civilization to destroy itself. How to do that? Undermine its foundations by chipping away at the rights of those annoying individuals.

One way to do that? Change their speech and thought patterns by spreading the idea that vocalizing your beliefs is disrespectful to others and must be avoided to make up for past inequities and injustices.

And call it something that sounds positive: "Political Correctness."

Remember, by the way that this is only part one. More parts to come that will illuminate further these records. However, a few initial comments. Mr. Wilson does focus on an American origin to the word; while Mr. Blazquez is tracking the origin of the idea (or what he thinks the idea behind the phrase "Political Correctness" is).

More to come.