Affirmative Action

[Pah]

Is Affirmative Action Unjust?

When someone is denied a job or admission to a college and an affirmative action program plays a role, it is often claimed that this program is "unjust." This is somewhat ambiguous, however, because it is not immediately clear what would be regarded as a more "just" system. Indeed, different opponents of affirmative action could intend different arguments.

For some, affirmative action is unjust because it seems to replace academic or professional qualifications with racial preferences. For others, it is unjust because it judges the merit of an applicant based not upon their status as an individual but based upon their membership in some larger group. Finally, it is often argued that affirmative action is simply a new form of racial discrimination and that all forms of discrimination based upon an irrelevant characteristic like race are by definition unjust. We should consider each in turn.

Affirmative Action is just a Quota System
Affirmative Action is Inefficient
Affirmative Action & Qualifications
Judging Individuals vs. Judging Groups
Affirmative Action is Reverse Discrimination
Is Affirmative Action Unjust?

 

[Runt]

Without affirmative action there would be even more discrimination than there is now.

 

[Valjean]

Does Affirmative Action conform to the dictionary definition of "discrimination?" Is discrimination wrong, per se ?

Ergo.....

 

[Ceridwen018]

Do two negatives make a positive? Is discriminating against the majority the best thing to do to improve odds for minorities?

 

[Pah]

Does Affirmative Action conform to the dictionary definition of "discrimination?" Is discrimination wrong, per se ?

Ergo.....

An important point made by those who criticize affirmative actions programs as unjust is that it constitutes a form of racial discrimination and, as such, is presumably unjust, immoral, and illegal on its face. Indeed, it is commonly argued that people who support affirmative action as a means of rectifying past discrimination are being inconsistent and hypocritical because they are using an evil to make up for an evil.

Was that your question?

It is the opening paragraph of the 5th link provided on the OP. See if that answers your question.

Bob

 

[Lintu]

Make everything race-blind, but put all this effort in protesting for AA into elementary education programs, after-school programs, you name it. People should not be punished for being privileged. They say that people taken by AA programs are just as qualified as anyone else. That's fine, but if they were really just as qualified as anyone else, why not just make it race-blind? Then all the qualified people get picked, regardless of race.

There should definitely be something done about educational inequality, but the answer isn't punishing people for being white, for having well-off parents, etc.

 

[desi]

Affirmative action makes otherwise unqualified people qualified. Would you want such a person responsible for saving your life, fixing your brakes, or cooking your food?

 

[Mr Spinkles]

I read the article and most of the links on it. The arguments sound a lot like the ones used to justify racial profiling on the part of law enforcement.