Origins of the term, "Politically Correct"

[HamdenRice]

As many of you know, the bizarre claim by Dinesh D'Souza, that he coined the term, "politically correct," has spawned several discussions about the origins of the term. I posted this in response to one thread, but thought it might be useful to some of you younger whipper snappers who never experienced far left politics of the 1970s so I am shamelessly starting a new thread.

Originally the term was used earnestly and seriously by some leftist factions, especially certain Marxist-Leninists and Maoists. Recall that Marxist-Leninism was also called "scientific socialism." They believed that their theory was as scientific as, say, physics.

In the social sciences and liberal politics people can have different opinions and come to different conclusions, but in hard sciences there are right and wrong -- or correct and incorrect -- answers to questions.

Believing their theory to be as objective and rigorous as hard sciences, these Marxists would say there are "correct" and "incorrect" political stances, as in "comrade, you analysis is not politically correct." Kruchev, for example, used a Russian expression, in his famous speech denouncing Stalinism, that could be translated, "politically correct." I believe Angela Davis used to use that kind of language in the late 1960s, from whence it was adopted mainly by certain elements of identity politics, especially feminists:

From an old listserve discussion:

http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9411a&L=linguist&P=2602

"Dolphin states that its first use in the U.S. was by Angela Davis in 1971 when she argued that there could be no "opposing argument to an issue which has only one correct side." Then in 1975, the then-president of the National Organization of Women said that organization was moving in "the intellectually and politically correct direction." The 1971 quotation seems to confirm Mark's view that only those who accept political authority over the quest for truth could use the term
with no ironic intent."

I think that the listserve discussion incorrectly concludes that people who used the term unironically believed that "correctness" came from political authority (as in, "comrade, the party has already decided the issue, which is now the politically correct line"), while I think they (mistakenly) believed that correctness came from scientific, objective analysis (as in "logic, comrade, and scientific socialist political economy dictate there is only one politically correct answer to this question"). On the other hand, for orthodox communists, the Central Committee of the Communist Party was, in fact, responsible for dictating the politically correct line and the party was capable of making about face moves, such as embracing and then rejecting the Hitler Stalin alliance, or Mao's reversals during the Cultural Revolution, which gave Marxist political correctness an Orwellian maleability.

Most of the liberal and progressive left did not share that kind of certainty, and therefore did not use that kind of language.

It was only in the 1970s and 1980s as a response to the most strident leftists on campuses, that progressives began to use the term ironically and then soon after, right wingers began to use the term derisively.

[On the Road]

1. D'Souza's Claim is Certainly Bizarre

but he's a baby so he wouldn't remember.

As I recall, "politically correct" was old even in the 1970s. I have heard that it was used in the 1950s to describe Marxists who felt obliged to defend the most egregious abuses of Stalin on ideological grounds. I don't think this is incompatible with the Angela Davis and NOW quotes, but it definitely contradicts D'Souza's explanation. He probably heard it somewhere, didn't know the background, and thought he made it up.

I also seem to remember that in modern usage, the term was first used by right-wingers to disparage feminist, anti-racist, and other socially liberal practices before being picked up ironically by liberals themselves. It's a classic smear tactic to take a term once reserved for totalitarians and apply it to causes promoting liberalism, equality, and freedom. And it still rankles a little to hear it used that way.

[HamdenRice]

2. It probably is older

You are correct, it could well have been used in the 1950s, because the "old left" included many orthodox communists for whom the term was used unironically.

As for whether lefties used it ironically before rightwingers used it derisively, that's a toss up.

[bananas]

3. Could you give a link to the other thread? nt

[HamdenRice]

6. here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x3136947

[pnorman]

4. The REAL"politically correct" era was the Mccarthy era.

Then, those who didn't follow the "correct" line got a LOT more than derision or "limited career advancement".

pnorman

[SteveM]

5. HamdenRice's exposition on "political correctness" is good.

The far right very successfully appropriated the term and has swung it like a bludgeon... against ANYONE who disagrees with THEM. Now, the term seems useful only as a slap against anyone who objects to some blow hole insulting someone else; I've even seen barroom drunks use the "N" word (or other racial slur) and then when someone objects, call the offended person "politically correct." This happened to me recently and I said "damn right I'm politically correct; someone has to be." Kind of stopped him in his tracks. What may have been an expression to expose the didactic authoritarianism of ideologues has grown corrosive, cowing others who would take a stand on anything. This is made all the more easy by the fatuous notion that "political incorrectness" is somehow cutting edge. It isn't. It's just avant conformity.

[HamdenRice]

7. It's also vaguely commie baiting

It's like saying anyone who has liberal views is secretly a hardcore Marxist who follows a political "line."

I agree it's a stupid bludgeon used to excuse even the most boorish behavior.