Ethics

5

Preferential Treatment and Moral Justification

In recent times, the policies and programs of preferential treatment, or reverse discrimination have aroused much controversy in many countries all over the world. These policies and programs gave rise to arguments, law-suits, riots and bloodshed in many countries, including India. The significant moral question associated with the problem of preferential treatment is-whether we should set aside the principles of justice for the sake of attaining some larger social good. The issue of preferential treatment raises certain important moral questions such as:

1. Is not discrimination of people on the consideration of caste, colour, creed, and sex morally wrong?
2. Under what conditions discrimination based ...