Why is political correctness called POLITICAL correctness, when the problem isn't to do with politics at all?

Question

BTW, before anyone says, I know politics itself is a problem, so there's no need to put it as an answer.

Great answers, but no ones really saying why its POLITICAL correctness and not something else.

Answer 1

I believe the term was coined by British tabloids in the early '90s - and it just stuck.

Although nowadays it's politically incorrect to use the term "politically correct". You should now be "culturally aware" (until use of that phrase becomes erm..culturally unaware - or something)

Answer 2

I think the term comes from the way politicians speak. They're always worried about offending some group or another and losing votes.

Starting in the 60's, the general public started recognizing "special" groups that many people felt had been abused, oppressed, or neglected. As everyday people began to pay more attention to these groups and the issues surrounding them, the chances of offending someone by saying "the wrong thing" became much greater.

At some point, this phenomenon became so exaggerated as to appear to some to be ludicrous. Under the new "speech rules", it became forbidden to say anything that could potentially offend any person or group, even if it was to point out an obvious truth.

A contemporary example of this might be someone stating the opinion that we should do more to prevent illegal aliens from crossing the border from Mexico to the U.S.

Because this is against the law and breaking the law is generally considered to be wrong, this would seem to be a no-brainer. However, if one said this in front of a Latino-American, one might get an earful about how important Mexican immigrants are to the U.S. economy, etc.

In the above example, the speaker would have "gotten in trouble" for literally saying that people shouldn't break the law.

After such an incident, the person who so foolishly spoke his or her mind (and probably anyone who witnessed or heard about the incident) might avoid saying anything about the issue of illegal immigration, especially if there was the possibility that any Latino-Americans might be present.

In other words, those people would decide it prudent to start talking like a politician.

Answer 3

To understand political correctness, it may be helpful to view the words independently, starting with the word political. The ultimate explanation of every political controversy is the disposition of power.[3] In a political context, power refers to the dominion of some men over others, or the human control of human life. Ultimately, it means force or compulsion.[4] Correctness in this context is subjective, and corresponds to the sponsored view of the government, minority, or special interest group. By silencing contradiction, political correctness entrenches the view as orthodox. Eventually, it is accepted as true, as freedom of thought requires the ability to choose between more than one viewpoint.[5][6]

Political correctness is not unique to any political party, special interest group, or language. In simple terms, Political Correctness is "The fear of offending society".

Answer 4

It's moral correctness.