Lesson V Ethics within society Discrimination and social exclusion

The natural lottery Some individuals are born with greater natural talent, intelligence, and beauty than others, and also some are born into wealthy families. What natural qualities a person possesses, and what sort of family he or she is born into, is a matter of luck, the natural lottery (J. Rawls). As a result of the natural lottery, individuals receive unequal shares of goods (considering economic goods, if you're born into a wealthy family, you inherit more money than someone born into a poor family; and if you're naturally more intelligent, you can get a higher paying job than someone who is naturally less intelligent). Such individuals do not deserve those unequal shares; so inequalities that result from the natural lottery are unjust.

Discrimination and social exclusion I Discrimination is the unjust differential treatment of individuals, a group or groups within a population. Social exclusion can be defined as the alienation or disenfranchisement of certain people within society. Injustice in treatment relies on factors which depend on the natural lottery, and which are therefore a matter of luck. Factors such as sex, race, sexual orientation, nationality and social class. Discrimination is therefore based on prejudice, that is, a preconceived idea resulting in an adverse judgment formed beforehand (without knowledge or examination of the facts).

Discrimination and social exlusion II Racism: Racists are people who believe that innate, inherited characteristics biologically determine human behavior. The doctrine of racism asserts that blood is the marker of national-ethnic identity. Within a racist framework, the value of a human being is not determined by his or her individuality, but instead by membership in a so-called "racial collective nation." Xenophobia: Xenophobia is a dislike or fear of people from other countries or of that which is perceived to be foreign or strange.

Discrimination and social exlusion III Sexism: Gender is a social construct based on the biological differences that define sex. What it means to be a man and what it means to be a woman vary according to cultural and social context and, like other socially ascribed roles, they affect what is expected from and permitted to both male and female. Homophobia relies on sexism, since hatred againts lesbians and gays is based on the suposition that sex defines gender in a way which entails only heterosexuality. Classism: Classism is prejudice or discrimination on the basis of social class. It includes individual attitudes and behaviors, systems of policies and practices that are set up to benefit the upper classes at the expense of the lower classes.