The aim of this special issue it to investigate the essence of political correctness, if any. This is a philosophical approach. The idea is not to claim or argue that it is wrong or right, but to understand what it is and/or what it can be.

What shall we (not) do ?

At a time of increasing globalization, with interconnectedness and communication intensifying, humanity is beginning to unify. It is interesting to inquire according to which ethos. The expression political correctness reflects a process wherein moral and religious values increasingly share the stage with, and often defer to, more general principles and strictures governing social conduct. But what are these principles and strictures? In which sense are they proposed, formulated, followed, enforced by politicians and other social actors?

Political correctness is presently culturally embedded in a particular socio-historical context, that of the political debates of Western Societies. It stigmatizes some values and promotes norms from the point of view of these societies. We may wonder if it will evolve, and how, into a more open and inclusive perspective.