Freedom of Speech, Social Censorship, and Political Correctness

2018 ◽  
pp. 273-282
Author(s):  
G. Gordon Betts
2020 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 169-177
Author(s):  
Anna Demenko ◽  
Michał Urbańczyk

In the paper we discuss the reasons behind a specific permissiveness of the Polish judicial authorities with regard to hate speech. Hate speech is criminalized by various provisions of the Polish Criminal Code. But as conducted surveys and statistics show, these regulations do not seem to be used adequately. The acceptance of hate speech does not necessarily result from the fact that we are a less tolerant society, but also to a large extent, from the fact that the scope of what is allowed to be said, especially publicly, is in Poland very broad. Paradoxically, it seems that in this ‘new democracy’ there is more freedom of speech than in Western countries, where political correctness plays a very important role in public and social life. The lack of responsibility that goes with freedom of speech and of boundaries on what might be expressed in public, the scurrilous language used also by high-ranking officials, influence the rules of socially acceptable behaviour. These rules also influence the scope of what is considered criminal behaviour. When tackling the problem of the acceptance of hate speech, it is also very important to remember that legal acts, especially criminal law, might not necessarily be the best way to change the attitudes in a society. Restrictions on freedom of speech might not only have a freezing effect but also be counterproductive – that which it is prohibited to say tends to be said more. The problem is to strike the right balance between those two possible outcomes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 194-220
Author(s):  
Olga A. Leontovich

The study aims to research the historical dynamics of the notions political correctness, inclusive language and freedom of speech, as well as to reveal the mechanisms and new tendencies of their realization in public discourse. The sources of practical material are represented by: a) 126 journal and Internet articles; b) 12 speeches of famous US and British politicians, scholars and celebrities reflecting the notions under study. The leading methods include critical discourse analysis, definition and contextual analyses. The research indicates that during its long and contradictory history, the term political correctness had both positive and negative connotations. When the negative attitude started to prevail, it was replaced by the notions inclusion and inclusive language based on similar mechanisms: ban on the use of offensive terms denoting different aspects of peoples identity; avoidance of stereotypes and false semantic associations; abundant use of euphemisms, etc. The paper reveals the new trends in the English language (non-binary expression of gender; changes in the conceptualization of race, age and disability) and social practices meeting the requirements of inclusive communication. Whereas political correctness and inclusive language aim to protect vulnerable social groups and improve the social climate, they produce certain undesirable tendencies: breach between social groups caused by inefficient communication; reverse racism; complex relationship of political correctness with science, literature and education; its speculative use; and restrictions on freedom of speech. The study also sheds light on the problems of politically correct intercultural communication caused by the non-stop language change, differences in social norms, values, grammatical structures, semantics, and cultural associations.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-138
Author(s):  
Gyulnara Gadzhimuradova ◽  

A world in constant motion, in a state of migration turbulence, presents humanity with new challenges and risks. Globalization is a blessing or a tragedy for humanity, occasioning the problem of how to preserve one’s identity, remaining “one’s own among strangers” while, at the same time, not becoming “a stranger among one’s own.” Integration processes in the world today are met with resistance by multidirectional processes that encourage a critical engagement with all spheres of life in modern society in order to counteract forces of depersonalization and the disappearance of one's identity – one's self – as expressed in the preservation of one's ethnic group, culture, religion, and so on. This is especially evident in attempts at preserving identity within Muslim communities in European countries.Given the growing Muslim population in Europe, it has become obvious that “European” and “Islamic” values are opposed in the context of preserving one's own identity, which is increasingly manifested in a religious context. Europe today has become a hostage of its values, which are despised by many of the immigrants who have poured into its borders. These are tolerance, political correctness, multiculturalism, democracy, and freedom of speech, among others, which are perceived as weakness and indecision. Eastern mentality, habits, and traditions are sometimes very different from European ones. The author examines the transformation of Muslim identity and the compatibility of “European” and “Islamic” values. The article also presents the opinions of various researchers on this issue, and provides possible scenarios for the trajectory of events, given continued intercultural contact through immigration and given the stakes and state of this collision of values.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-59
Author(s):  
Bisera Plančić ◽  
Željka Zanchi ◽  
Mirna Čudić

The paper deals with the concept of the so-called 'political correctness', primarily with regard to how it affects the language, particularly that of the non-native speakers of English, who may sometimes not be sufficiently aware of the sensitivity of the issue in the target language, frequently not nearly as pronounced in their own society and cultural setting. Not surprisingly, 'political correctness' has over the years caused a lot of heated argument and has divided people, not only linguists, into its ardent supporters and detractors. While the former defend it on the grounds that it can effectively combat intolerance, prejudice and injustice, the latter object to it as merely an instrument of political control and manipulation and an impediment to the freedom of speech. They base their argument on the fact that things are sometimes taken too far, many expressions already accepted or suggested as 'politically correct' sounding exaggerated, unnatural, and ridiculous. Furthermore, they argue that political correctness frequently obscures the meaning and is directed against clarity, thereby deteriorating the language. The authors therefore deem it necessary to highlight and explore the arguments of both sides, trying to propose the best ways of dealing with the issue, making all those concerned fully aware of the problem and its implications, at the same time striving to establish and maintain a balance.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 179-192
Author(s):  
Markus Lipowicz

Political correctness above all? A few remarks on the antiscientific inclinations of the regressive left The objective of this essay is to present the “regressive left” as an anti-scientific ideological movement which seeks to supersede intellectual integrity as the chief value in the academic sphere by the normative prerequisites of political correctness. In the first section I will try to sketch a general conceptualization of the term “regressive left” itself and name a few examples in order to demonstrate how its representatives and followers tend to restrict freedom of speech in the areas of research and teaching, as well. In the second section I will try to grasp the theoretical roots of this ideology from the perspective of the history of ideas, with an emphasis on the thoughts of Herbert Marcuse and Michel Foucault. Finally, in the last section I will characterize the “regressive left” as a movement based on resentment as understood by Max Scheler.


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