ABSTRACT
Affirmative action is the policy of intentionally encouraging diversity in hiring decisions and college enrollment. The debate over affirmative action involves widely shared values such as justice, fairness, and equality. Supporters of affirmative action argue that it helps overcome past injustices towards racial minorities and promotes diversity on college campuses. Opponents argue that affirmative action is less necessary today than in the past, and it constitutes discrimination against white students. This chapter begins with a history of affirmative action policies in the United States. The author then explains how disagreement over affirmative action stems from opposing conceptions of what it means to provide equal opportunity. The chapter concludes with a discussion of how unconscious and unintentional prejudices can create inequalities in how people are treated in college admission, the workforce, and society more broadly.
