Listening to one of the Munk Debates on the topic of political correctness today, I was reminded of what a complex and fraught area this is for someone who wants to be even-handed and reasonable. It is hard to be against something whose apparent aims are generous, kind and good, whose objectives are to right past wrongs and create a more just and equitable society. People who believe in good causes are generally nice folks who want the best for others, especially those who have been historically oppressed.

The problem seems to occur when governments and institutions (and even business) take up these issues and try to create policies that will reform, or ameliorate the problems raised. With these policies often comes a raft of language impositions and omissions, new ways of speaking about a problem or matter and ways of not speaking about it. These don't have to be enforced by fiat - they might be recommendations or suggestions, but that is beside the point. Their enforcement happens without the need for policing.

One of the debaters in the Munk debate was Stephen Fry. Apart from his sheer erudition and wit, Fry puts his finger upon the central problem of political correctness, as it applies to language. It is the group that enforces the rule. One does not want to say something that might be seen as being outside the way the group thinks about and issue, for fear of being outed or labelled as racist, or misogynistic, or something similarly odious. The only option is silence or compliant language.

I know this to be true because I have been in such company and bitten my tongue when a more courageous approach would have been to say plainly what I think. My somewhat left-field sense of humour has often got me into trouble for not dissimilar reasons, for there is something about the conformity and passivity of group think that lights that little contrarian flame in me.

The debate can be found here. It features also the controversial Dr Jordan Peterson, whose views you may may find compelling, or irritating.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNjYSns0op0

or you can google it.