This chapter explores the phenomenon of ‘cancel culture’ as a performative and relational practice within contemporary intellectual life. Drawing on positioning theory and the dramaturgical lens of public discourse, we argue that ‘cancel culture’ is not merely a mechanism of censorship but a form of self-positioning through which individuals and groups assert moral authority, define collective boundaries, and negotiate identity. Focusing on the liberal paradox where cultures that champion open debate also impose limits on permissible speech, we trace the historical precedents and the intensified dynamics introduced by digital technologies. These dynamics include the rise of social media–driven moral outrage, the expansion of emotional harm as grounds for censorship, and the proliferation of factional logics akin to Schmittian friend/enemy politics. We situate ‘cancel culture’ within both Western and non-Western academic contexts, highlighting how silencing operates across ideological spectrums and political regimes. Finally, we consider the unintended consequences of institutionalising cancellation in universities, including the empowerment of anti-institutional counter-publics. We conclude by advocating for a dialogical approach to knowledge production that sustains critical engagement across epistemic and political divides.