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12/17/2002 06:50:00 PM | Timothy Diversity in Admissions Affirmative action was initially and sometimes still is defended on the grounds that it is compensation for past discrimination, that is, for helping groups that in the past have been systematically discriminated against. That rationale has been criticized as 'backwards looking'. This may help explain the popularity and attraction of the diversity argument, which is 'forward looking' in that is relies for its justification on a desired end of a diverse group of students, not for wronging a past right. I was reading a philosophy article by George Sher, who said that all arguments for diversity in college admissions implicitly rely on the initial 'compensatory' argument for affirmative action. The groups that constitute 'diversity' also are largely the ones that have systematically discriminated against in the past, Sher says. Sher notes the one plausible justification for affirmative action is that it upholds the specific values of the University, if it can be shown (he does not think it has been) that have a racially diverse background improves scholarship. For example, if race is a proxy for having experienced discrimination, this is valuable in adding new perspectives that change the way we look at issues. (Kumar had an article on D'Souza in the free press two years ago, which I wish I could find the link for). Critical race theorists have called affirmative action a majoritarian device, because it seeks to take the elite Blacks in order to stablize society. I don't think racial diversity equals intellectual diversity, but I think any talk of 'diversity' can't exclude race. More to say later (and there's a lot more to be said), but I'm curious what Brad has to say... perma link |
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