Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book considers the questions of how cancelling became an issue recently as well as why it poses significant educational risks that deserve our attention. It explores some historical examples of cancelling by featuring four individuals—Socrates, Baruch Spinoza, Delmira Agustini, and Rosa Luxemburg—who each in his or her own way suffered a variety of harsh consequences ranging from condemnation to even murder. The book provides an appreciation for the political, social, and legal dynamics that played a role in the persecution and cancelling of Communist leaders and other citizens in the United States during the McCarthy era. The book argues that given the current hyper-partisan climate and the filtered, technological world in which people inhabit, there is an urgent need to reimagine the role of a civics education curriculum at all levels of education.