35 Lessons in Critical Thinking: Think Like a Debater
Transcript
Hello, I’m Pang Ying. Welcome to Episode 5 of Think Like a Debater.
We often see the claim:
“We don’t want feminism; we want equality.”
Anyone who checks the word knows feminism seeks gender equality. So the question is:
why call it feminism rather than equality or human rights?
How do we answer claims that supporting women promotes female supremacy, or that emphasizing women’s perspectives makes women supreme?
Is the well-meant “chivalry” that protects women actually sexist?
Today we analyze these questions by distinguishing equality, equity, and justice.
Equality vs. Equity vs. Justice
Have you seen the cartoon of three people of different heights watching soccer over a wall?
In the first panel, each stands on an equal-height box, so the tall person sees while the shortest cannot.
In the second, the tall person gets a short box and the short person a tall box; their eyes reach the same height and all can watch.
In the third, the wall is replaced by a low transparent fence, and no one needs a box.
The first panel representsequality: identical support regardless of differences.
The second representsequity: greater support for disadvantaged groups to reach equal outcomes.
The third representsjustice，justice: removing the source of unfairness and systemic discrimination.
Until we reach the third panel, treating different groups identically is not always fairest.
Affirmative Action in U.S. University Admissions
The most direct example is affirmative action for Black applicants at American universities.
Affirmative actionAlso translated as positive discrimination or corrective measures, affirmative action favors minorities or disadvantaged groups to counter employment and educational discrimination and pursue equality of outcomes.
2021.10.12
Audio in Chinese
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