Naked Racial Preference: The Case Against Affirmative Action - Hardcover

Cohen, Carl

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1568330537 ISBN 13: 9781568330532

Publisher: Madison Books, 1995

Synopsis

From landmark court cases on affirmative action to their consequences, a study on why such preferences are morally wrong, unlawful, and indefensible.

About this title

About the Author

Carl Cohen is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

From the Back Cover

Affirmative action is back in the headlines and promises to be one of the most divisive issues in American politics as we head toward the twenty-first century. In Naked Racial Preference, distinguished philosopher Carl Cohen makes a careful, thought-provoking argument against the set of race-related policies now known loosely as "affirmative action". He examines landmark court cases from the past twenty years that have addressed racial quotas and goals, admission to law and medical schools, employment, and set-asides - including the recent Adarand case.

Reviews

Cohen (Civil Disobedience), a philosophy professor at the University of Michigan, offers carefully argued critiques of what he calls the often-contorted reasoning behind judicial decisions upholding affirmative action. In this collection (mainly articles previously published in law reviews and magazines such as Commentary), Cohen deconstructs notable cases (e.g., Bakke and Weber) and analyzes such issues as the vaguely defined legal standards (e.g., a "compelling" government interest). However, Cohen's antipathy toward racial preference does not extend to other preferential programs (What about gender? Alumni legacies?), and his proffered solution?policies that do not involve classification by race?doesn't necessarily address our society's embedded racism.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Madison Books
• Publication date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1568330537
• ISBN 13: 9781568330532
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 240