Words that think for us - Edward Skidelsky

In pursuit of political correctness and to avoid any moral judgment, our culture seeks to establish a new, neutralised language. As an example, the author points out that ‘improper’ and ‘indecent’ have been replaced by ‘inappropriate’ and ‘unacceptable’. The former words express moral judgments, whereas the latter merely imply breaches of convention. The author suggests that ‘[as] liberal pluralists, we seek only adherence to rules of the game, not agreement on fundamentals’. Instead of espousing openness vis-à-vis our judgments – thus allowing them to be controverted – our new language hides its moralism behind a veil of ‘bureaucratic neutrality’.

© Prospect Magazine (London)