Ethics and Race : Past and Present Intersections and Controversies

This dynamic new text for ethics and philosophy of race courses brings together subjects philosophers have generally kept separate—ethics and race. But every issue concerning race is an ethical issue, and it's time we studied them as such. Naomi Zack introduces students to historical and contemporary issues of race and racism and provides an ethical foundation for students to critically engage with these issues in the classroom and in their lives. The chapters discuss affirmative action and diversity, current protests from across the political spectrum, police killings, the relevance of race to the effects of disasters and climate change, white privilege as a cause for political impasse, racial identity (including mixed race identities), race and gender, and media representations of race. While treating issues of race as moral subjects with suggested moral foundations, Zack does not lead the student to specific conclusions. Rather, through thought, discussion, and writing questions, students learn to construct their own chains of reasonings based on explicit moral foundations. The book features: • Up-to-date social and biological scientific findings • Hot-button current issues • discussion questions and writing prompts • further reading lists and video resources • a comprehensive glossary • international examples to supplement US-based discussion