Ethics and Race I (what is racism)1

Queen's University Party Incident

• Queen's University deemed a student party with attendees in stereotypical cultural costumes as "completely unacceptable."

• Promoted racial stereotypes through costumes representing various cultures.

• Significant backlash and discussions surrounding racism in the university environment.

Offensive Costumes

• Examples of offensive costumes worn included:

  • Arab sheikhs

  • Viet Cong soldiers

  • Buddhist monks

  • Sombrero-wearing Mexicans

Student Reactions

• Mixed reactions observed among students regarding the incident.

• Quote: "Ugh. I am not surprised. Racist behaviour, and indifference to it, run rampant at Queens and most Canadian universities." - Celeste Yim

Resume Study: Racial Bias in Hiring

• Study conducted by Bertrand and Mullainathan (2004) where thousands of résumés were distributed randomly to employers seeking candidates.

• Names on résumés varied to see how race affects callback rates.

• Résumés with stereotypically white names received callbacks approximately 50% more often than those with stereotypically African-American names.

• Key insight: Racial bias can affect hiring decisions even when qualifications are identical.

Racial Bias in Medical Decisions

• Study indicated that doctors exhibited bias in recommending treatments based on a patient's race (Hoffman et al., 2016).

• Black patients received fewer recommendations for cardiac catheterization compared to white patients, despite identical medical histories.

Understanding Racism: Appiah's Perspective

• Appiah examines definitions and implications of racism in his works (e.g., "In My Father's House").

• Provides examples of differing opinions on what constitutes racism (e.g., affirmative action, exclusive societies, or questions about origins).

• He views racism as a deformation of rationality, often rooted in false beliefs.

Doctrine of Racialism

• Define racialism as heritable characteristics used to categorize races.

• Suggests the existence of a 'racial essence' that has moral significance.

• Not inherently objectionable; may contain morally positive characteristics attributed across racial groups.

Extrinsic Racism

• Definition: Making moral distinctions based on beliefs about racial essences.

• Attributes specific moral qualities to particular races.

• Considered a cognitive impairment and often arises from either ignorance or rooted beliefs.

Intrinsic Racism

• Definition: Belief in different moral statuses based on race.

• Lacks evidence and is resistant to argumentation or rational discourse.

• Often a sincere belief system among those who subscribe to it.

Relationship Between Intrinsic and Extrinsic Racism

• Not mutually exclusive; often support each other.

• Changing extrinsic beliefs may justify intrinsic racism.

• Used to validate hate and justify harm towards others, often linked to racial pseudo-science.

Propositional Racists

• Individuals with beliefs aligning with intrinsic or extrinsic racism suffer from faulty rationality.

• Can be persuaded to change beliefs through rational argumentation.

• Many hold racist views not from prejudice, but from cultural exposure.

Concept of Racial Solidarity

• Encumbered by racial prejudice demonstrates unwillingness to adapt beliefs despite evidence.

• Appeals to group identity based on perceived racial traits to foster solidarity.

• Usage of racial categories by groups does not validate their legitimacy.

Morality and Racism

• Appiah positions racism in the realm of false beliefs.

• Contrasted by a volitional account grounding racism in animosity and contempt.

• Suggests attitudes deserve moral critique, thus framing racism not only as mistaken but morally wrong.

Shelby's Critique

• Discusses alternative explanations for feelings of animosity that aren’t objectionable.

• Highlights difficulty in understanding racist attitudes without acknowledging beliefs.

Shelby's Ideology Proposal

• Defines racism as an ideological construct that perpetuates social oppression.

• Racial ideologies can propagate without conscious awareness of the individuals involved.

Ideology’s Role in Injustice

• Ideologies can rationalize and perpetuate discriminatory practices.

• Important to recognize how seemingly benign beliefs can contribute to systemic racial oppression.