Justice: What's The Right Thing To Do? Episode 09: "ARGUING AFFIRMATIVE ACTION"

PART ONE: ARGUING AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
PART TWO: WHAT'S THE PURPOSE?
Part 1
Sandel describes the 1996 court case of a white woman named Cheryl Hopwood who was denied admission to a Texas law school, even though she had higher grades and test scores than some of the minority applicants who were admitted. Hopwood took her case to court, arguing the schools affirmative action program violated her rights. Students discuss the pros and cons of affirmative action. Should we try to correct for inequality in educational backgrounds by taking race into consideration? Should we compensate for historical injustices such as slavery and segregation? Is the argument in favor of promoting diversity a valid one? How does it size up against the argument that a students efforts and achievements should carry more weight than factors that are out of his or her control and therefore arbitrary? When a universitys stated mission is to increase diversity, is it a violation of rights to deny a white person admission?

PART TWO: WHATS THE PURPOSE?

Sandel introduces Aristotle and his theory of justice. Aristotle disagrees with Rawls and Kant. He believes that justice is about giving people their due, what they deserve. When considering matters of distribution, Aristotle argues one must consider the goal, the end, the purpose of what is being distributed. The best flutes, for example, should go to the best flute players. And the highest political offices should go to those with the best judgment and the greatest civic virtue. For Aristotle, justice is a matter of fitting a persons virtues with an appropriate role.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Michael Sandel
• Harvard University
• Justice
• WGBH

[Phobos2085]

Side note: How does Sandel memorize names on the fly and still put them with their statements much later in the lecture? Simply stunning.

[satananass]

I guess Ted got into Harvard through Family admission...

[lustring]

Can't even imagine , how come in USA today, these kind of question can be raised ? the answer is beyond obvious, race can't be a label, can't be a reason for that situation. these kind of sentiment have to be largely unaccepted , that's one of the goals this open class for, which I believe.

[lustring]

@Phobos2085 I think over time, people can develop some amazing skills.

[nuevayoriquenyo]

Hannah rules!

[DayOfDoom2]

@Phobos2085 Probably because he's been a teacher for a good many years and his brain's trained by now :)

[freddie702]

Hanna is HOT!!



[Chipwhitley274]

@nhessing1

I didn't mention it before but apparently the word for you to use isn't "ignorant" as you have misused it twice. A person or an idea or comment cannot just simply be ignorant, in the way they can be stupid. A person can be ignorant (or not knowing) of a subject, topic, idea etc. For instance, I'm ignorant as to what you had for dinner today (or if you had dinner at all). Or, your ignorance regarding the subject of subliminal processing.

[Chipwhitley274]

@nhessing1

"Oh, please, I stopped arguing with you because I didn't want to make you look anymore foolish than you already do."

Uh huh...

"I do research in this very area and I have spent a good amount of life researching ..."

You must not be a very effective researcher if you actually study a subject for such a length of time, yet have little understanding of it.

[nhessing1]

@Chipwhitley274 And for the subliminal processing thing i got cut off because of the word count, but really I couldn't care less about convincing someone like you.

Merry Xmas

[nhessing1]

@Chipwhitley274 Oh, please, I stopped arguing with you because I didn't want to make you look anymore foolish than you already do. I do research in this very area and I have spent a good amount of life researching personality and individual differences. I do not say things to sound intelligent, that is totally irrelevant to me. At the end of the day, I don't need to convince you of anything, I know what I know and the only word for you is ignorant.

[Chipwhitley274]

@nhessing1

Oh, and you may want to do some actual studying on subliminal processing before you try to use it in your arguments. It does not support your claims in any way. It may seem like something you can say, to sound intelligent, but it doesn't intimidate me.