What is discrimination? There are certain
instances of differential treatment that almost anyone would describe as
discriminatory; yet upon deeper examination, this near-unanimity gives way to
disagreement and difference. For instance, is it discrimination when hospitals
hire non-smokers only? Not only do people differ on which cases of differential
treatment they see as discriminatory, they also disagree about when
discrimination is morally wrong; what makes it morally wrong; and, indeed, about
whether all forms of discrimination are morally wrong! Finally, many disagree
over what should be done about wrongful discrimination-especially about what the
state could permissibly do to eliminate wrongful discrimination, e.g. in
people's love lives. This book addresses these issues. It argues that there are
different concepts of discrimination and that different purposes pertaining to
different contexts determine which one is the most useful. It gives special
attention to a concept of discrimination that ties discrimination to
differential treatment of people on the basis of their membership in socially
salient groups. Second, it argues that when discrimination is wrong, it is so
first and foremost because of its harmful effects. Third, it takes issue with
some of the standard devices used to counteract discrimination and submits that
combating discrimination requires more than state actions. Finally, it argues
that states may sometimes permissibly discriminate. "[Lippert-Rasmussen] is a
master of advancing discussion on a topic by showing that where the rest of us
saw only two or three possible positions, there are many positions, often
smeared together in a confused way in prior writings on the topic. The different
views need to be carefully distinguished, and we then need to look carefully at
what can be said for and against each in turn. When we do this, our view of the
issues significantly shifts. This method and its fruits are evident throughout
the bookEL [The] author's analytical skill and creative imagination in following
through this method make the book a pleasure to read." -Richard J. Arneson,
Professor of Philosophy, University of California, San Diego
