Solutions to Widespread Racism: Philosophy in Action Podcast

On Sunday's Philosophy in Action Radio, I answered a question on solutions to widespread racism. The question was:

Should the government intervene when widespread racism makes life impossible for some people? Given that the effect of strictly respecting the rights of private property owners in the South was that blacks could not find accommodations, health care, transportation, food, and other basic necessities of life, shouldn't the government have intervened? Didn't civil rights legislation help eliminate racism – and wasn't that a good thing – even if that meant violating the right to property of racists?

My Answer, In Brief: Severe and widespread racism can only survive when enforced by government. As such, the solution to such racism is the elimination of the government's violations of rights based on race. That will radically change a culture in and of itself. To attempt to do more – particularly to ban racism in private transactions – violates the rights of innocent people and sets a terrible precedent.

Download or Listen to My Full Answer:

• Duration: 30:21
• Download: MP3 Segment

Tags: Activism, Capitalism, Culture, Discrimination, Economics, Ethics, Free Society, History, Law, Race, Racism Relevant Links:

• "Racism" by Ayn Rand in The Virtue of Selfishness
• Wikipedia: The Holocaust, Jim Crow Laws, and Apartheid
• Blind auditions key to hiring musicians
• Philosophy in Action: Sexual Harassment Laws
• South Africa's War Against Capitalism by Walter Williams
• Wikipedia: Fourteenth Amendment to the US Constitution

To comment on this question or my answer, visit its comment thread.

A podcast of the full episode – where I also answered questions on recommended works of Aristotle, veto power over abortion, staying in a marriage, and more – is available here: Episode of 20 January 2013.

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Philosophy in Action Radio applies rational principles to the challenges of real life in live internet radio shows on Sunday mornings and Wednesday evenings. For information on upcoming shows, visit the Episodes on Tap. For podcasts of past shows, visit the Show Archives.