The following is a work in progress for an assignment for my ethics class dealing with affirmative action programs such a preference programs and the normative questions raised through an utilitarian theory approach, (which I happen to agree with):
A Utilitarianism Critique of Preference Programs for Collegiate Acceptance
Is the use of programs that seek to redress for past discrimination through active measures to ensure equal opportunity in collegiate education ethical? The Supreme Court says it is ethical and needed in those cases where there is a compelling governmental interest. Grutter v. Bollinger was a case in 2003 in which the United States Supreme Court heard the issue of the constitutionality of affirmative action programs for collegiate programs. Justice O'Connor found that it was indeed constitutional and was needed for at least twenty-five more years. Chief Justice Rehnquist and Justices Scalia, Kennedy and Thomas all dissented from O'Conner's opinion and wrote that not only were such preference programs unconstitutional, but they were also detrimental to the evolution of the American society. However, assuming that because the courts or the law says that using these programs is ethical, it must be ethical would be committing the legalistic fallacy. Also saying that something is this way and therefore should be this way would be committing the is/ought fallacy. Both fallacies are not an appropriate way to logical reasoning. Using other approaches it can be argued that in fact the use of preference programs is unethical.
From a utilitarian approach the use of such affirmative action programs such as preference programs in fact lowers the overall net utility of a society as a whole because it lowers the education level that is being taught in collegiate schools; lowers the output of collegiate programs; and provides an atmosphere that systematically lowers the overall net happiness of a society; therefore making it unethical.
Affirmative Action programs cause a loss of net utility for a society in a long run because we will no longer have our best and brightest students graduating and entering the professional work force. Some of the best qualified candidates for collegiate programs will be declined because their spots will need to be filled with students that are preferred through the programs, even though these students may not have the best qualifications. This will cause the long-run net utility to decline. Yes, we will have a diverse professional workforce, but it will not consist of the best candidates. If the workforce did indeed consist of only the best candidates, whatever their race, gender, or socioeconomic status, there would be a rise in overall net utility for that workforce. The brighter the candidates, the brighter the workforce and therefore the brighter the output of that society will be. For example, if the best candidates for a medical school program happened to all be of the Asian race, all of the students should be accepted regardless of diversity or lack there of. This would in turn cause the best students to graduate from the program and therefore the best doctors to practice causing the most net utility possible for that particular society.
Preference programs will also lower net utility because the classes in colleges and other post-secondary educational facilities will need to be taught at a lower academic level. The main purpose of post-secondary education is to educate the students attended, and for that to be obtained the material needs to be at a level where most students can understand, in order to ensure that the facilities are successfully training graduates from the programs. These educational levels are likely to be lower than current ones. This would seem to be the case because people will be getting admitted to programs based on preference on things other than academic qualifications and may not be properly prepared to compete with other students. For example, if a student is admitted into a college with a lower SAT score and GPA because that student’s ethnicity is under represented at that institution the institution will be inclined to ensure that student can produce in classes. Therefore, more remedial courses and courses covering material that other students are already familiar with, will be need to be required in order to prepare these students. This in turn will cause the society as a whole to become less educated overall and therefore lower the long run utility of that society.
A society is a sophisticated interlinking of relationships that vary depending upon the various components that collectively build them. A diverse society helps everyone understand the various cultures that exist in our own society as well as in others. It is important to learn their values, goals, and practices that characterize them. This is a vital aspect of living in a community that has an overall long run net happiness. However given one race, ethnicity, gender, age-group or any other demographic preference may cause bitterness through out that society, therefore lowering the net happiness. If everyone is unhappy or holds resentment towards another group of people then, the utility of that particular society will also lower. Taking society's utility and subtracting the utility that will be lost without the use of preference programs (even though the society will still show a great amount of diversity) and adding the gained utiltiy from obtaining the most qualified candidates graduating and entering the workforce will yield a net utility that will be greater then one obtained with the use of the preference programs such as affirmative action. Therefore, race, gender, and socioeconomic status should not be considered in the selection of students. The students with the best qualifications, regardless of these demographic preferences should be chosen.
Is the use of programs that seek to redress for past discrimination through active measures to ensure equal opportunity in collegiate education ethical? The Supreme Court says it is ethical and needed in those cases where there is a compelling governmental interest. Grutter v. Bollinger was a case in 2003 in which the United States Supreme Court heard the issue of the constitutionality of affirmative action programs for collegiate programs. Justice O'Connor found that it was indeed constitutional and was needed for at least twenty-five more years. Chief Justice Rehnquist and Justices Scalia, Kennedy and Thomas all dissented from O'Conner's opinion and wrote that not only were such preference programs unconstitutional, but they were also detrimental to the evolution of the American society. However, assuming that because the courts or the law says that using these programs is ethical, it must be ethical would be committing the legalistic fallacy. Also saying that something is this way and therefore should be this way would be committing the is/ought fallacy. Both fallacies are not an appropriate way to logical reasoning. Using other approaches it can be argued that in fact the use of preference programs is unethical.
From a utilitarian approach the use of such affirmative action programs such as preference programs in fact lowers the overall net utility of a society as a whole because it lowers the education level that is being taught in collegiate schools; lowers the output of collegiate programs; and provides an atmosphere that systematically lowers the overall net happiness of a society; therefore making it unethical.
Affirmative Action programs cause a loss of net utility for a society in a long run because we will no longer have our best and brightest students graduating and entering the professional work force. Some of the best qualified candidates for collegiate programs will be declined because their spots will need to be filled with students that are preferred through the programs, even though these students may not have the best qualifications. This will cause the long-run net utility to decline. Yes, we will have a diverse professional workforce, but it will not consist of the best candidates. If the workforce did indeed consist of only the best candidates, whatever their race, gender, or socioeconomic status, there would be a rise in overall net utility for that workforce. The brighter the candidates, the brighter the workforce and therefore the brighter the output of that society will be. For example, if the best candidates for a medical school program happened to all be of the Asian race, all of the students should be accepted regardless of diversity or lack there of. This would in turn cause the best students to graduate from the program and therefore the best doctors to practice causing the most net utility possible for that particular society.
Preference programs will also lower net utility because the classes in colleges and other post-secondary educational facilities will need to be taught at a lower academic level. The main purpose of post-secondary education is to educate the students attended, and for that to be obtained the material needs to be at a level where most students can understand, in order to ensure that the facilities are successfully training graduates from the programs. These educational levels are likely to be lower than current ones. This would seem to be the case because people will be getting admitted to programs based on preference on things other than academic qualifications and may not be properly prepared to compete with other students. For example, if a student is admitted into a college with a lower SAT score and GPA because that student’s ethnicity is under represented at that institution the institution will be inclined to ensure that student can produce in classes. Therefore, more remedial courses and courses covering material that other students are already familiar with, will be need to be required in order to prepare these students. This in turn will cause the society as a whole to become less educated overall and therefore lower the long run utility of that society.
A society is a sophisticated interlinking of relationships that vary depending upon the various components that collectively build them. A diverse society helps everyone understand the various cultures that exist in our own society as well as in others. It is important to learn their values, goals, and practices that characterize them. This is a vital aspect of living in a community that has an overall long run net happiness. However given one race, ethnicity, gender, age-group or any other demographic preference may cause bitterness through out that society, therefore lowering the net happiness. If everyone is unhappy or holds resentment towards another group of people then, the utility of that particular society will also lower. Taking society's utility and subtracting the utility that will be lost without the use of preference programs (even though the society will still show a great amount of diversity) and adding the gained utiltiy from obtaining the most qualified candidates graduating and entering the workforce will yield a net utility that will be greater then one obtained with the use of the preference programs such as affirmative action. Therefore, race, gender, and socioeconomic status should not be considered in the selection of students. The students with the best qualifications, regardless of these demographic preferences should be chosen.
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