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academics and students who disagree with its premises and tactics. Instead
of simply arguing their case, the politically correct academics have dis–
torted and smeared the opposition.
What to do about this ideological cleansing is difficult to say - I'm
afraid I can suggest nothing beyond constant intellectual and political
argument against political correctness by those who have not lost their
faith in independent thought and in the values of Western civilization.
Unfortunately, students are in a weaker position, since they cannot cope
with the superior knowledge and skills of their politically correct teach–
ers.
It might be noted that no serious person denies the unsavory ele–
ments in the history of Western civilization. But what the PCers do is
to
equate Western civilization with its faults, failing to concede or to rec–
ognize its achievements. They seem to deny that what we are today is
the culmination of our achievements in the past - unless of course we
assume that ours is an evil civilization.
4. MultiCIIltllralism
Multiculturalism is the battle cry of the politically correct and those
under its influence. But this too is an argument in bad faith. For no se–
rious person denies that America is made up of people who have come
from different cultures . The issue is whether America is to be united or
divided by its cultures, as Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. argues persuasively in his
recent book,
The Dislmiting oj Al'nerica.
In fact, the issue is further
clouded by the PCers who, behind a mask of championing the cultures
of different groups, are actually pushing the interests of blacks and
putting down the legacies of the dominant cultures of the West. They
also, to repeat, are promoting a largely inflated African heritage for
blacks as a source for the knowledge and science of the West. If they
were to succeed, Western culture would be wiped out, or at least de–
moted to the status of an evil past.
It might be further noted that there is very little if any competition
to the mainstream of Western culture from most of the cultures and na–
tionalities of those who have emigrated to America. There are no de–
mands made, for instance, by the Polish, or Italian, or Danish, or
Brazilian, or Czech, or Russian, or Jewish, or Asian people - among
many others - to have their cultures given equal, if not greater, represen–
tation in American education.
5.
DeconstYllctiorl, Relativism, etc.
Some observers maintain that deconstruction and kindred doctrines
are on the wane in the academy. This may be true, but their influence
