"Justice" and "correctness" are terms that come with a positive connotation. So why is it that when those terms become specified as "social justice" and "political correctness," they suddenly become so much less acceptable?
The vilification of these terms has to be one of the most curious developments in modern society. Taken at face value, "social justice" implies that some type of fairness and equality in a social setting. "Political correctness" implies a political atmosphere in which something is right. These terms seem to be so agreeable, so how is it that so many have decided that these ideas are the enemy?
Recommended for you
I can't honestly provide an answer. Mostly, I think it's an of undervaluing the struggles of marginalized groups. People born with every societal advantage often struggle to understand what it's like to be less privileged and they see a push for equality as simply an annoyance.
As an educated person, I think it’s important that we be clear about definitions. “Justice” is something that is objectively good by definition. Pure and simple, “social justice” is something that seeks to right injustices that exist in the world. It’s a term that can certainly be misused for self-righteousness, misandry, or outright discrimination, but it’s important to remember that those instances are misuses of the ideology and do not represent the norm or the majority. The same goes for “political correctness.” It isn’t a term made simply to shelter; it’s a term that implies there is something incorrect that needs to be corrected. Even if it’s seen as a sort of sheltering, is that so bad? Shelter is a form of protection, and while it may sometimes be worth it to consider if there is a sort of over-protection going on, in most cases protection is very important. To deny that there are injustices or incorrect things going on in our society is simply ignorance. If you can acknowledge there are wrongs in the political and justice systems, then you can acknowledge that the world needs both political correctness and social justice in order to improve.
I don’t expect to make any major changes with this little article. All I ask is this: next time you go to bemoan “social justice” or “political correctness,” take a step back and really consider how you are using the term and what ideology you’re really speaking out against. Consider those truly marginalized by the issues at hand and weigh that against your annoyance at having to hear about it. Justice and correctness are two things sorely lacking in personal, political, societal, racial, and gender relationships these days. We need to be very careful before we write them off, no matter what form they come in.
