What Is Wrong with Racism - Essay Example

People and Racism By (Module and number) PEOPLE AND RACISM There are 7 continents in the world. In a single continent, there are several countries. Each country has its own race and culture. Migration has brought different races into different countries in the course of time. A person may look different from the others in a particular place however that does not mean that the person is lesser. One’s skin colour may be darker than the others yet he is just as capable as those people who have lighter skin. A person’s eyes may be differently shaped from another yet those same eyes see the same things that are seen by the others eyes. Just because a person or a group of person belongs to another race, it does not mean that they are lesser capable or lesser dignified than the others who consider themselves belonging to the so-called “superior race.” What is racism? How can one be considered as a racist? What are the Aristotelian, Kantian, and the Utilitarian views towards racism? Before the latter questions can be answered, the term racism should be defined. There are controversies that envelopes the whole definition and structure of the word racism. Others may perceive the term related to hatred, injustice or inequality. The United Nations does not recognise the terminology itself yet pertains to it as racial discrimination in one of its conventions held on 7th March 1966 and according to the organization: “…the term "racial discrimination" shall mean any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life (HRI.Org, 1995).” MacNiven (1993, 157), on the other hand, stated that: “Racism is also inconsistent with the principle equality. To be treated equally means to be treated as an equal but not necessarily to be treated as the same…Racism is inconsistent with equality because there is no morally relevant difference which justifies a different treatment of the non-white minorities.” As Olsson (1997, 6) stated, there are 28 attitudes and behaviours that are common to racists. These acts are said to be indicators towards rejection, defensiveness, and guilt. The first in the list is a defensive statement and seems to be a way to wash their hands with regards to the possible cause of their action. Statements like ‘I am colour-blind’ is just like saying ‘I do not want to get involved’ even if they are just as guilty as everybody else who thinks that the colour of the skin is still the most important measure of a person’s dignity and character. Immanuel Kant has been noted to be one of the more prominent Western philosophers. Besides the given prominence, Kant is also considered to be influential even to the present generation of scholars and educators. However, as his works are being explored and reviewed, there have been notions that Kant himself is a racist. According to Hill Jr. and Boxill (2001, 452): “If Kant’s racial theory depends on false factual assumptions, or if his attempt to derive it from his general philosophical principles is invalid, these principles need not be tainted with racism any more than genetic science is necessarily tainted with racism just because some racists try to justify their views.” Kant’s racial theory therefore would be considered to be racist or not depending on the reader’s opinion. In the published work of Hill Jr. and Boxill (2001, 452-4), the authors pointed out a work by Emmanuel Eze whom they give credit in pointing out the racist implications in the compositions of Kant. The Western philosopher believed in what is termed as monogenesis. This is the philosophy where the different races are the successors of just one common norm. Kant preferred this theory over what others term as polygenesis or the belief that each race has its different origins and has no point of communal foundation. If Kant is perceived to be a racist, he would be favouring polygenesis more than monogenesis. Yet as it has been continually interpreted and understood, Immanuel Kant believed in a common origin for the races. This has been one of the foundations of his racial theory. There have been statements that others can point out that can justify that Kant is a racist especially when he characterized and generalize each race with their capabilities. True this can be a sign of being a racist by words however one can look onto the statement as purely characterization and not a degrading testimony. Kantians believe on what is seen and what is true, at least what they perceive to be the truth. As a transcendentalist, Kant believed as to what exist. Could it be that since racism exist, Kant and the Kantian scholars also do believe in this? Do they believe that racism exist and should be eliminated or since it exists it should be promulgated? The Greek philosopher Aristotle had his works published way before Immanuel Kant was born. Aristotelian ethics believed that by nature, man is a social being. One of its beliefs is that racism hinders a person from its nature and restricts the person in achieving life’s happiness. This is caused by the fact that moral virtuous should be performed like a habit and should be repetitive. One’s racist attitude suppresses the attainment of achieving and forming a habitual virtuous activity. Racism is an obstruction for a person to be in his norm of being a social being. It also hinders a person from interacting with his fellows that is considered eventually as a determinant of the kind of virtuous person the individual is (Aristotle, 2004, 14-20, 30-2). Everything that either in excess or in insufficiency is not virtuous as it does not justifies the means. In the Aristotelian point of view, it is only the means that is considered as virtuous. All the things that falls behind or above it falls in the category of malevolent. Furthermore, Aristotelian views believe that racism does not justify any means and is not a virtuous act. As it has been previously stated, racism can be categorized as something which is not just unscrupulous but also unethical. People with racist dispositions falls into the category of believing something that is a product of evil. The only freedom that a racist has is the freedom to be a part of a discriminatory prejudice acts with regards to the people or the society that the person chooses. Since racism is not a virtuous act according to the teachings and writings of Aristotle, purely one can conclude that the teaching does not create any discriminatory opinions and promotes unity of people regardless of race. With the 2 beliefs that has been discussed, the Kantian view can still have traces of being racist and discriminatory unlike the Aristotelian view in which it promotes that happiness is achieved by man not just by socializing alone but also by doing what is right. As a Utilitarian, one believes in what could be the achievement of greatest happiness. According to Mill (2008, 8): “…foundations of morals, Utility, or the Greatest Happiness Principle, hold that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness.” With the statement expressed, racism does not have any place in the world of Utilitarians. Racism or racial discrimination only promotes hating those people who are physically different from the others. The racist way of thinking is full of hatred and therefore does not constitute the core value that the ethical theory holds. Utilitarians thinks that racism is morally incorrect and immoral (MacNiven, 1993, 156). Concluding from the 3 views discussed, the Kantian point of view is the only principle that is tainted with racism. Instead of promoting equality and happiness, Kant even raised some eyebrows with the discussions that were published. One cannot truly say that the Western philosopher is a racist yet there are indications that would characterize him to be inkling more towards those who are faired-skin colour than those who were born with darker complexions. Though there are also notions that Kant believed in the immorality of racism, it is still not pure and is blemished from a racist points of view. Therefore, Kant in a way believes that racism is good. There are people who have misinterpreted the whole concept of racism. If the race that one is fighting and strongly believes that the human race is the supreme race in the world, this is a good form of racism. The Aristotelian and Utilitarian views towards racism are strictly immoral and unethical. There are no loopholes that can be seen which can conclude that the principles being promoted have an inclination towards racial discrimination. One point that saved Kant from being tagged as a true racist is his belief of monogenesis. Continuing on this opinion, everybody is created equally therefore should be treated equally regardless of the colour of their skin. Racism should be eliminated as nobody is created higher than the others. Each race is just as precious as the others. Everybody was created special and deserves the happiness that this physical world has to offer. One can conclude that the racism that the Aristotelian and Utilitarian views are fighting against is the racism that divides people from achieving peace and unity. What was portrayed by the Utilitarian and Aristotelian points of view should be the example to people from the present generation and be handed down to the future generations. For one to be truly happy and virtuous, one should eliminate the thought of superiority or inferiority. Just like what Aristotle proposed, it is only the means which is virtuous or good. Equality is the means for the society. No person is created more than another. Everybody is somebody’s equal regardless of race and gender. When one considers himself as inferiority to another, that person is just giving the others the opportunity to step on his dignity as a person. Looking at it from the other way around, when one considers himself superior from the others, it is like a poison that creates the evil within the self. People are being divided by their races. Racism has caused this world to be divided. It has caused people to think differently towards other people who were created and have the same rights as the others. There is no superior or inferior race. The only race that should be taken into consideration is the human race. In the mind of a racist, nothing is wrong in his actions. The wrong thing in one racist’s opinion is being born from another race and having a different skin colour or physical appearance (Tenenbaum, 2007, 203). Racism is wrong as it discriminates people from their rights as humans. It violates the foremost right of every person to be treated equally. Ethically, racism is wrong. Though there are people who are scared to be express their opinions especially towards racism, one should be an example and stand up for those who are being maltreated just because they have a darker skin complexion. Skin colour is not a gauge of a person’s character, capability and dignity. Whether one believes in the theory of evolution or creation, every man can trace its roots towards the same ancestors. Life is too beautiful and short to be spent with a heart filled with hatred and immorality. Bibliography Aristotle. (2004) The Nicomachean Ethics. Trans. J. A. New York, NY: Penguin Books. Hill, T. E. Jr. and Boxill, B. (2001) Race and Racism. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. HRI.Org. (1995) United Nations: International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. Available from . MacNiven, D. (1993) Creative Morality. London, UK: Routledge. Mill, J. S. (2008) Utilitarianism. Forgotten Books. Olson, J. (1997) Detour Spotting for White Anti-Racists. Hamburg, PA: Cultural Bridges. Tenenbaum, S. (2007) Moral Psychology. New York, NY: Rodopi. Read More