The Role Of Discrimination In Modern Society

Name: Haslinda Bte Ismail (G1318084)

Course: EDF 6606 Philosophy in Education for Thinking

Date: 11 December 2014

Modern societies tend to consider discrimination on the basis of race, religion, and gender to be morally wrong. What reasons can you give for regarding such discrimination as wrong? Should members of the group that have been discriminated against be given preference in jobs and other opportunities to compensate for past discrimination?

People should not be discriminated against based on religion, race or gender because of the concept of human liberty and freedom. Everyone is born free. They may be granted certain attributes that are different from others, for example, they may be born more beautiful or stronger or have an innate musical talent. Or they may be born in better circumstances than others, for example, some are born in a rich family. However, these differences do not give people the right to feel superior above others and discriminate them. For one thing, we have no say in how we are born in. Aspects like race, religion and gender are not chosen by a person, but are what they are born in. (Some people may argue that people have a choice in terms of religion but a

We have heard about heroic acts of ordinary people saving others caught in buildings on fire or swimming against the current to rescue someone from drowning. As these incidents happen very quickly, there is usually little time for these ordinary heroes to weigh the pros and cons and consider how such acts will benefit them. They do it out of instinct, their human nature urging them to do something because deep inside they have this belief that human life is valuable. It is also difficult to claim that these people carry out such heroic acts to be praised or gain honour in society because some of these incidents happen when no one is around to witness their good