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Laurence Thomas: What Good Am I

question 16

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Laurence Thomas: What Good Am I?
In "What Good Am I?" Laurence Thomas addresses the debate over affirmative action by asking why, given that knowledge is colorblind, the race and gender of professors should matter. What, in other words, is the benefit of a diverse professoriate? One answer is that a diverse professoriate provides role models for minority and female students. Thomas, however, rejects this answer because it is often presented in a way that suggests minority and female faculty have little to teach students from outside historically marginalized groups apart from how not to be racist and/or sexist. But even if this so-called role-model argument were innocent of such a suggestion, Thomas claims many would still object to affirmative action on the alleged grounds that affirmative action appointments are, by definition, not the best qualified applicants. After all, so the objection goes, if a job candidate were the most qualified applicant, he or she would not need any form of preferential treatment. According to Thomas, however, this objection completely ignores the existence the entrenched biases, which can persist even alongside a sincere belief in equality. In a morally perfect world free of these kinds of biases, women and minorities of superior qualifications would be hired on the basis of their merits. But that is not the kind of world we live in according to Thomas.
For Thomas, the best way to understand the benefit of a diverse faculty is in terms of intellectual affirmation, trust, and gratitude. Teaching, on Thomas's view, involves more than the mere transmission of knowledge. Crucially, it also involves providing intellectual affirmation, which is impossible in the absence of trust between student and teacher. Given that sexism and racism can make it difficult for female and minority students to develop this kind of trust with white male professors, a diverse faculty helps remove one obstacle standing in the way of some students achieving intellectual affirmation. Moreover, the mere presence of a diverse faculty can give female and minority students hope that the university is an environment where intellectual affirmation is possible for them. Finally, Thomas argues that intellectual affirmation creates gratitude, which when felt by white male students toward female and minority professors can help undermine academic "ole boy" networks that have served sexist and racist ends in the past.
-According to Thomas's argument, racism and sexism:

Understand how critical thinking can be taught and improved through specific educational practices.

Comprehend the importance of monitoring and applying critical thinking in various aspects of life, including professional environments.

Understand changes in American birthrates and demographic patterns between 1800-1860.

Recognize the significance and timeline of the railroad era and other technological advancements.

Definitions:

Lifestyle Choices

Decisions and actions taken by individuals that affect their way of living, health, and well-being.

Legislators

Elected officials who have the authority to create, amend, and enact laws within a governmental system.

Sin

An act viewed as a transgression against divine law or moral principles, often rooted in religious belief.

Leprosy

A chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, characterized by the development of disfiguring skin sores and nerve damage in the arms, legs, and skin areas around the body.