Moral Quandary of Race Essay

In his book, I am non a Racist, exceptThe Moral Quandary of Race, Lawrence A. Blum, a professor of Philosophy and Liberal Arts, ventures into unrecognized and little known aspects of racism. His commentary and analysis of racism and its implications, projects the vastness of the subject, which had gener on the wholey been regarded as just a neat attitude. Blum describes racism as antipathy towards exclusives of a racialized group, stemming from inferiorization or the idea that the group is inferior in relation to other groups.Blum considers a person to be a racist only when he intentionally makes racist comments or jokes, impelled by racial antipathy. He feels that the moral significance of the term racism seems to be losing its value, as it is existence overused or too commonly used. Today, in practical life, any direct or indirect references which push feelings of racial groups are considered racist. This not only dilutes the very meaning of racism but excessively weakens its business office of ethical condemnation. The countersignature racism and its related terminology haves to be more clear, due to its relevance in personal racism, racist, racist intuitive feelings at various levels.The author feels the term racism is being more used out of context, like black students intending to sit with other black students for lunch or white teacher being uncomfortable talking with the black parents, which are all regarded as racism. The book also emphasizes the need to report race-based statistical data with greater care and concern as they influence individual perceptions. The statistical differences among the views of racial groups must be projected without any overracialization (p35). Overstating the differences of such views would only reinforce A book review 3an individuals racist opinion and close them to persuading arguments or quick-scented conversation. Opposing the general notion that racial groups have a common agenda with regard to their group, Blum emphasizes the need to recognize the existence of internal diversity within social groups. Racial groups with a sizable population cannot have a single opinion or viewpoint. Several factors including age, gender, religion, culture etc. influence the establishment of a viewpoint of an individual (p55). Blum therefore attributes it to misrecognition or inadequate recognition rising from ignorance, when any single viewpoint is attributed to an entire race.Although Blum feels that whites should not forget their relevance and association with racism, he adds that racism is not throttle only to the whites. For instance Chinese, Japanese, and blacks too exhibit racist attitude to other colored people and whites. The belief of their racial superiority is developed by colored people, which makes them regard other groups inferior (p33). In this book, Blum indicates our hypersensitivity to the word racism and suggests that racist insensitivity and subconscious racial intolerance are indeed acts, which need to be eliminated, but need not be tagged as racist.Blum is of the opinion that racial disfavor is an unavoidable consequence of cultural diversity. Our view and way of life today is associated with racist ideologies, which we have inherited. The conceit of race had developed from the sixteenth century, A book view 4 reaching its peak in the late nineteenth century. History holds the key for our present interpretation on human diversity in terms of similarity, differences and superiority among races (p109).Blum explores the idea of doing away with the concept of race, but warns that it should be only after all associated wrongdoings are fully addressed. The book covers all vital aspects of racism including its history and, what we actually mean and gestate of race. It incorporates much useful information on the topic, carefully thought and reasoned, illustrated by suitable examples. I am not a Racist, ButThe Moral Quandary of Race is indeed an importan t book not only to scholars but also to the common man in quest of understanding racism.