Accepted rules, standards, or principles; also clergy members in the Christian church, or large guns.
From Greek 'kanon' (measuring rod, rule). The word took on three main meanings: church officials, rules/standards, and weapons, all developing from the 'measuring rod' concept.
A canon started as literally a measuring rod in ancient Greece, then became a 'rule' because rules measure out what's acceptable—so the 'literary canon' is the measuring stick of great books!
Literary and philosophical canons have historically excluded women authors, thinkers, and artists. Canon formation (19th–20th century academia) was controlled by predominantly male gatekeepers, institutionalizing erasure.
When discussing canons, acknowledge exclusions. Use 'classical works,' 'foundational texts,' or 'canonical traditions' and specify whose canon—whose voices are centered, whose omitted?
["foundational texts","classical works","traditions (specify origin)"]
Women authors, philosophers, and artists were systematically excluded from canons. Recognition: reclaiming 'lost' female voices requires active decanonization of male-only lists and institutional power-sharing in canon definition.
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