LEGL 4500/6500 - Employment Law

Dawn D. Bennett-Alexander, Esq.

Terry College of Business

University of Georgia


A Just Society Must Have Diversity

Dafdd B. Williams



 
 

 Mark Helprin, in his speech before the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington (an adaptation of which was published on your Nov. 25 editorial page under the headline "Diversity Is Not a Virtue"), suggested that the effort to make our institution reflect diverse population grouping is a struggle of communal rights vs. individual rights. Mr. Helprin states that " where the communal approach rules…blood flows and no one is treated fairly. We, on the other hand, have fought many times for the sake of being apprehended not as classes of people but as individual souls." Mr. Helprin offers his succinct solution in the statement that "…neither diversity nor unity are virtues, and should be left to find their own balance without stilted prodding."

Since "diversity" and "unity" are not opposites, it must be assumed that Mr. Helprin meant to contrast "diversity" and "homogeneity": a diverse group of people can be united but, by definition, cannot be homogenous. However, it is not clear from his comments how a balance between diversity and homogeneity is to be achieved. It is implied that there is some natural and desirable balance and a mechanism for achieving it, but these are not discussed. Rather, there is an admonishment to avoid "stilted prodding," which must mean that society should not create laws to provide a means of redness to individual victims of racist and sexist actions. It must also mean avoiding the establishment of programs to encourage knowledge of, respect for and toleration of others.

If there is some balance to be found between diversity and homogeneity and if that balance point is meant to be fair, it would require the elimination of racism and sexism in our society. Many people would agree that wonderful vision for American, but it seems rather utopian. Like other utopian models, it does not connect with present-day reality.

For example, if a student is studying economics for the first time, he or she might be enthralled by the altruism of the utopian socialist notion that an individual should contribute according to his or her best ability and should receive according to his or her need. The same student might be quite put off by the capitalist concept of self-interest as the best motivator. It is at this point that the student must be told that in the real world, systems based on individual self-interest produce much greater material wealth than socialism, which has not worked very well where it has been tried.

Similarly, the policy of permitting white-male dominated institutions to find some balance between diversity and homogeneity (aka Mark Helprin) has not worked very well in the real world. Like the student accepting the reality of self-interest as a necessary condition of economic freedom, Mr. Helprin should accept the reality of diversity as a necessary condition, of a just society. Even if it requires a little silted prodding.
 
 

Neptune, N.J.

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Dawn D. Bennett-Alexander