Discrimination and Ethics- Race and Gender

Discrimination and Ethics- Race and Gender

Discrimination is prevalent in societies worldwide. The reasons for discrimination vary, including with regard to race and gender. Racial discrimination is heavily shown in today’s society, with broadcasts also depicting racial discrimination. Consequently, racial equality is advocated for in society, and approaches are created to eliminate racial discrimination, including legal remedies. Subsequently, the statement “Too many people are judged by the color of their skin rather than the quality of their mind. However, legal remedies will never cause the changes necessary in perception to truly effect racial equality,” raises ethical ramifications.

Finding effective approaches to eliminate racial discrimination restores dignity and equality in humanity. Kant posited that duty to humanity is a part of moral conduct that should guide people’s actions (MacKinnon & Fiala, 2016), and legal approaches serve under the duty to humanity. Some legal remedies to discrimination include anti-discrimination laws and policies (Eyer, 2021). The anti-discrimination law, according to Eyer (2021), functions to ensure that all people “have a right to receive the same treatment at the hands of government, employers, and others, regardless of race, sex, or other protected class status” (p. 1624). This aim presents the argument on whether legal remedies help overcome discrimination or cover up discriminatory attitudes without changing them.

Legal remedies may help overcome discrimination; however, they cover up discriminatory attitudes without changing them. Eyer (2021) posits that there is minimal acceptance of legal remedies by society, and the consequences of discriminatory behavior are considered tolerable. The anticlassification framework used in some legal remedies also functions to cover up discriminatory attitudes, as racial discrimination is greatly depicted individually (Guy-Uriel E & Fuentes-Rohwer, 2021). With this in mind, many racial equality claims brought forth to courts are dismissed (Eyer, 2021). Additionally, legal remedies tend to provoke and promote racial inequality and discrimination because racial discrimination tends to occur at the individual level. For these reasons, it is apparent that legal remedies cover up discriminatory attitudes without changing them.

Accordingly, several approaches need to be taken to change discriminatory attitudes. First, considering that racial discrimination infringes on people’s human rights is the first approach to changing discriminatory attitudes. Everyone is entitled to be treated as any other person would be, overlooking race and thereby changing perceptions of others, promoting racial equality. Second, considering universalizability, people would think through their actions by considering the effects if everyone in a similar situation acted similarly. This approach would change racial perceptions, which would influence racial equality. Third, embracing legal remedies, including anti-discrimination laws, is an approach that would cause the needed change in perception and strengthen racial equality. These approaches to legal remedies would cause the changes necessary in perception to truly affect racial equality personally and professionally.

Consistently, the ethical ramifications of the statement, “Too many people are judged by the color of their skin rather than the quality of their mind. However, legal remedies will never cause the changes necessary in perception to truly effect racial equality” are evident. The legal remedies put forth to safeguard humanity are not efficient enough to cause the racial equality changes needed in a society. For people to perceive others as more than the color of their skin but who they are as individual human beings, as humans are not to be treated as a means to an end but as an end in itself. For this reason, legal remedies have failed to protect humanity by covering up for discriminatory attitudes without changing them. Therefore, several approaches can be applied to change discriminatory attitudes, including universalizability and human rights.

In conclusion, people face numerous challenges in their daily lives, and discrimination is one of the challenges. Racial discrimination is prevalent today, and legal remedies are presented to safeguard people against racial discrimination. The efficiency of these legal remedies is brought into question depending on their effects on discriminatory attitudes, presenting ethical ramifications. Several approaches can be put in place to rectify the ethical ramifications presented by legal remedies setbacks.

References

Eyer, K. R. (2021, December 29). The but-for theory of anti-discrimination law. https://ssrn.com/abstract=3801699

Guy-Uriel E, C., & Fuentes-Rohwer, L. (2021). Pathological racism, chronic racism & targeted universalism. California Law Review, 109(3), 1107–1118. https://doi.org/10.15779/Z38QR4NR4G

MacKinnon, B., & Fiala, A. (2016). Ethics: Theory and contemporary issues. Cengage Learning.

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Step 1: Choose either Option A or Option B

Option A:
“Everyone has slaves in their ancestry if you go back far enough. Past slavery should not be the
issue. Mistreatment and discrimination should be the issue. Poor whites can be just as discriminated
against as people of color.”

Using your reading in this course so far and other research, discuss the ethical ramifications of this
statement. What are the various ethical theories that can be used for this topic?

Option B:
“Too many people are judged by the color of their skin rather than the quality of their mind.
However, legal remedies will never cause the changes necessary in perception to truly effect racial
equality.”

Using your reading in this course so far and other research, discuss the ethical ramifications of this
statement

Be specific and give examples, using at least two outside references, to buttress your argument. Cite all sources in APA format.