Afirmative action in workplace: discussing with Kantian and Utilitarian theories

Essay by dustinsylviaCollege, UndergraduateA+, November 2002

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Affirmative Action in Workplace

There are many forms of discrimination still present in the modern day world. Many of these instances take place during the daily operations of business. The objective of this paper is to highlight the concept of affirmative action in the workplace, and explain why one person of gender or race would be hired over another more qualified for the position just to fulfill hiring requirements, while using Kantian and Utilitarian ethical theories to justify each side of the issue.

Affirmative action policies can be described as any policies that attempt to actively dismantle institutionalized or informal cultural norms and systems of inscriptive group-based disadvantages, and the inequalities historically resulting from them. Also, any attempt to promote an ideal of inclusive community, as in ideals of democracy, integration, and pluralism, which is multiculturalism; by means that classify people according to their ascriptive identities, such as race, gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.

One day there were two people who went to an interview for only one job position at the same company. The first person attended a prestigious and highly academic university, had years of work experience in the field and, in the mind of the employer, had the potential to make a positive impact on the company's performance. The second person was just starting out in the field and seemed to lack the ambition that was visible in his opponent. Who should get the Job? Before 1964 this answer would be obvious, but with the adoption of the social policy known as affirmative action, the answer becomes unclear. Some would say that this new legislature is discriminating in itself. Though this was implemented for the retribution for the sufferings endured over time by minorities. Who was truly responsible for their persecution? If you were a Utilitarian you...