ABSTRACT
This chapter launches our exploration of the current debate over cancelling while addressing many of the problems with the way in which this debate is being waged. More specifically, the aim of this chapter is to define the terms of the debate, dispel some lingering myths, give some historical background, and pave the way for the discussion that will follow in the subsequent chapters of the book. I first take the notion of cancel culture head-on while arguing that it is a problematic term that should probably not be used. Then I analyze the distinction between cancelling and accountability and argue that the latter, though also problematic, is a better way of bringing individuals and ideas to justice. Following the discussion of the difference between cancelling and accountability, I address the issue of the misuse of political correctness as well as its current manifestation in the notion of wokeness. In the final parts of this chapter, I examine the questions of how cancelling became an issue recently as well as why it poses a significant educational risk that deserves our attention.
