In “The Case Against Affirmative Action,” Louis Pojman argues against Strong Affirmative Action, which he distinguishes from Weak Affirmative Action. I will begin this paper by explaining this distinction between Strong and Weak Affirmative Action. Second, I will explain why I agree with Pojman that Strong Affirmative Action has no moral weight. Next, I will provide an exposition of Argument 9: An Argument from the Principle of Human Merit. In this exposition, I will explain why I agree with the two pillars of Pojman’s argument. After that, I will provide a potential objection to Argument 9 and then provide a response to this objection on Pojman’s behalf. There are two distinct categories of Affirmative Action: Strong Affirmative Action and
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If someone’s child requires immediate cardiovascular surgery, they should seek the best physician to perform the surgery on their child, regardless of the physician’s race, ethnicity or gender. I believe that having the most qualified professors, physicians and police officers means that the members of our society will perform better in school and live healthier and safer lives.
Pojman explains that the argument for the principle of merit is based upon two main ideas. The first idea is that we should respect and value people as individuals and not treat them as a means to some end goal. Rather, we should treat people as ends themselves. Instead of placing people into categories and generalizing about them and their needs, Pojman argues that we should focus on treating them as individuals, meaning that each person will be rewarded based upon what they deserve, or their individual …show more content…
As an individual from a small farming community in northern California made up of a high proportion of migrant farm workers, I have seen the difficulties faced by students from disadvantaged backgrounds. These students do not have the necessary guidance and financial resources that are essential for success in today’s fast-paced and competitive society. As a result, most of these students begin working upon completion of high school, which is more education than their parents received. Since these students are not even considering pursuing higher education and are not applying to these universities or to high paying jobs, the application of the Principle of Merit will still result in inequality. The gap between socioeconomic classes will persist as when the principle of merit is used, the people that will receive admission and jobs are typically people from wealthier families and more likely to be white. Moreover, even if there are minorities selected for admissions and jobs, they are also likely to be from a higher socioeconomic
If someone’s child requires immediate cardiovascular surgery, they should seek the best physician to perform the surgery on their child, regardless of the physician’s race, ethnicity or gender. I believe that having the most qualified professors, physicians and police officers means that the members of our society will perform better in school and live healthier and safer lives.
Pojman explains that the argument for the principle of merit is based upon two main ideas. The first idea is that we should respect and value people as individuals and not treat them as a means to some end goal. Rather, we should treat people as ends themselves. Instead of placing people into categories and generalizing about them and their needs, Pojman argues that we should focus on treating them as individuals, meaning that each person will be rewarded based upon what they deserve, or their individual …show more content…
As an individual from a small farming community in northern California made up of a high proportion of migrant farm workers, I have seen the difficulties faced by students from disadvantaged backgrounds. These students do not have the necessary guidance and financial resources that are essential for success in today’s fast-paced and competitive society. As a result, most of these students begin working upon completion of high school, which is more education than their parents received. Since these students are not even considering pursuing higher education and are not applying to these universities or to high paying jobs, the application of the Principle of Merit will still result in inequality. The gap between socioeconomic classes will persist as when the principle of merit is used, the people that will receive admission and jobs are typically people from wealthier families and more likely to be white. Moreover, even if there are minorities selected for admissions and jobs, they are also likely to be from a higher socioeconomic