All'arrembaggio del 'classico' : riflessioni su 'politically correct' e 'cancel culture'

The essay analyses some sides of the actual debate about the use of ‘western’ cultural categories also in making history. The theories of Martin Bernal (Black Athena, 1987 and 1991), who opposed his ‘ancient model’ to the so called ‘arian model’, showed a different perspective to look to ancient history. The actual thought movements start from assessments which counteract the arguments of the right wing about “Western Civilisation”. Expecially the Society for Classical Studies (from 2019 onward) and a scholar of color, Danel Padilla Peralta, wrote statements which involve a strong j’accuse towards white (and american WASP) historians. The principal claim is that «white men will have to surrender the privilege they have of seeing their words printed and disseminated»; and that the number of scholars of color in the next future shall reach the number of white historians, as a ‘reparative intellectual justice’ – otherwise the chairs will have to be canceled. The author takes position about this extremization of the cancel culture, which seems being imported in Europe too.

Keywords: Teaching of Classics; American Scholarship in Classics; White historians; Historians of color; Cancel Culture.