Racial Relationship Ethics

Loving v. Virginia

The 1967 Supreme Court case that declared state-level anti-miscegenation laws unconstitutional, legalizing interracial marriage nationwide in the US.

current interracial marriage statistics in US

As of 2020-2021, about 11% of all married couples and approximately 19% of newlywed couples are interracial.

endogamous relationships

Relationships and marriages within one's own racial or ethnic group; most relationships remain endogamous despite rising intermarriage rates.

sexual racism (basic definition)

Violating a duty to remain open to suitors from other races by choosing partners based on hatred of other races or principled preference for one's own race.

cultural pluralist argument for endogamy

If cultures are worth preserving, we ought to preserve the races that have nurtured their cultures into being.

objection to cultural pluralist endogamy

Races aren't cultural groups, and even if they were, outsiders could participate in cultural preservation.

political entity argument for endogamy

To end racial oppression, we need members of racialized groups to unify and create strong families and communities.

market solidarity argument for endogamy

Each member of a stigmatized racial group who chooses an outside partner shrinks the dating market for other members of that race.

argument from risk aversion for endogamy

Mixed race couples and their children face more social obstacles than others, making such relationships more harmful.

conjugal expressiveness argument against interracial relationships

Members of historically disfavored races entering interracial relationships sends a message that reinforces racism and colorism.

response to conjugal expressiveness argument

Neither the blame for racist ideas nor the burden of changing them should fall on individuals' relationship choices; focus on powerful institutions instead.

racial sexual preference

To prefer or not prefer members of a particular racial or ethnic group, everything else being equal, accounting for other preferences and circumstantial factors.

exclusive racial preference

A racial preference that admits no exceptions; the person desires only members of one racial group.

bare racial preferences

Preferences based solely on physical features associated with members of a group (e.g., dark skin, double-lidded eyes), not on beliefs or stereotypes.

unfair discrimination argument against racial preferences

Sexually desiring only members of one group is racist and discriminatory because it arbitrarily excludes entire groups from sexual practices.

objection to unfair discrimination argument using sexual orientation

No one thinks desiring one gender based on sexual orientation is discriminatory even though it is arbitrary, so why treat race differently?

unfair discrimination argument 3.0

Race is a social construct and does not naturally limit desire the way age or sexual orientation do, so racial preferences are arbitrary and unfair.

moral defect argument against racial preferences

People with exclusive racial preferences are morally defective because their desires are narrow and not as encompassing as they could be.

dilemma facing moral defect argument

Horn 1: everyone has sexual preferences, so this would make everyone defective (overkill). Horn 2: it arbitrarily targets racial preferences for condemnation while ignoring other preferences.

stereotype argument against racial preferences

Exclusive racial preferences are racist because they're based on racial stereotypes, which are false, immoral, or formed irrationally.

ways stereotypes can be morally objectionable

The content of the beliefs is false and immoral, OR the beliefs were formed irrationally.

can racial preferences be based on stereotypes without being racist?

Yes, if the stereotypes don't operate outside the sexual context, aren't accepted as true, or the person struggles against them.

what about strong racial preferences against a group?

If based on negative stereotypes, the person might not endorse them outside sexual context; aversion isn't necessarily racism unless stereotypes are the stated reason.

how to determine if stereotypes in preferences are racist

Depends on which beliefs are deeper in the person's psyche, and on the person's higher-level attitudes toward their sexual desires.