Author Presents For Affirmative Action example essay topic

Jade Elias 4/25/02 There are many supporters and opponents of Affirmative Action. The focus of this program is to include minorities and women into social institutions. An argument that the author presents for Affirmative Action is that of the 'merit principal', which states that people should be awarded for posse sing the highest merit. In turn he states that race and sex can be a merit because it will allow others of that sex or race to steve for greatness as well. The author also presents the argument of 'cultural pluralism', which states that positive benefits come form having varieties in cultural experiences. An argument presented against Affirmative action is that often times people of a certain race or sex aren't as qualified as white males for the same positions.

An additional argument to cultural pluralism is that it excludes white males. It seems that in order for one group to benefit another must be disadvantaged. This disadvantage the author calls a reverse discrimination. The argument presented for justifying the occurrence of such is the principle of reparations and compensation. Compensation states that since white men benefited from the exclusion of blacks and women they should now bear the burden. The reparations argument states that racial minorities (blacks) and women are entitled to preferential treatment because their rights have been violated.

These arguments are difficult to put into practice because it bring certain difficult issues into light. For example, who is black, who should benefit, who should be burdened. Justification for Affirmative Action is that it is said to be for the greater good of society, this is an utilitarian outlook. The author additionally brings up that Affirmative action takes away a groups self respect because it gives them something they are not en tilted to, and that they wont be able to compete successfully with others who have received benefits with out preference. He dismisses both these views, the first by stating that Affirmative Action is just and so if something is just loss of self respect isn't warranted. The second view is dismissed with the use of facts, or lack there of any proving that blacks and women don't successfully compete on an equal footing as white men.

In the Race and IQ controversy price the author states tha t almost all professions have certain regulations with the exception of research scientist. He then names two scientist, Hein skin and Murray, who content tha blacks as a group are less intelligent's than whites. The author states that the increase in racial tensions is correlated to the rise in IQ and race research. The author's aim is to examine researches claim that morality plays no part in research.

He also examines the claim of people that believe that if res each is believed to have a adverse affect on a group of people it should be discontinued. He illustrates the use of the utilitarian outlook, and the.

Bibliography

Foster, George 'Race and Social Prejudice', Mcmillan, December 2001.