Please describe a world free of discrimination.

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Terminal Dogma's picture
Please describe a world free of discrimination.

As in main details - I thought about it, couldn't get it to make sense.

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Mutorc S'yriah's picture
It depends on what you mean

It depends on what you mean by discrimination, Terminal Dogma. There are many things about which we ought to be discriminatory. There are many things which some of us might prefer it if there was no discrimination.

I really ought to be discriminating about what I eat, who I marry, (if anyone), what rules I'll follow, things like that. On the issue of which rules to follow, some rules are mere conventions, or etiquette. Should I remove my hat indoors ? Some other rules are logical, eg. for our safety. Should I obey the road rules - what is likely to happen if I don't. Do I choose to discriminate sometimes in favour of breaking a road rule ?

On the other hand, I'd guess that you are talking about the social discriminations that we are trying to battle against in the 21st. century; things like ageism, racism, sexism, disability, things like that.

One problem is that the urge to discriminate is a product of our evolutionary past. We evolved to exist in small bands that support the in-group, and tend to shun those of out-groups. Modern societies tend to be quite different to that, and we are much more a large town or city dwelling species, these days. Co-operation is an essential part of modern living, but we still see primitive bad behaviour in this day and age. We have to battle our primitive in-built urges, to live in a more civilised manner..

I suppose that we ought not to discriminate against people in ways which hamper them or make their lives worse, for no other reason than that they don't fit our own mould. People cannot help how old they are, what sex they are, if they are disabled in some way. So they ought not to be punished, outcast or shunned from participation in ordinary life, because of something which they can't help.

For example, a black person would make just as good a police officer, as a white one, (or yellow or brown one for that matter). Hopefully we are getting over racial discrimination in that way, though it does seem that police officers in the US discriminate against black people in a way that is wrong.

Having said all of that, sometimes, what a person is, and in a way that they cannot help, is still grounds for acceptable discrimination. A person in a wheelchair for example ought not to be given a job climbing scaffolding, for example. That is obvious, but should a person of low IQ and maths ability get a job where mathematical skills are essential? Of course not, so in that case, discrimination on being mentally less able, makes sense.

So a world free of discrimination ? Not possible. Maybe you'd need to list ways in which we need to be less discriminatory, and at the same time, you'd need to look at exceptions to the general rule. I couldn't be accepted to be an astronaut, I'm way too old and unfit, and could never be a suitable candidate. I'm an exception to anti-ageist discrimination in that regard.

Mutorc.

Sky Pilot's picture
Terminal Dogma,

Terminal Dogma,

"Please describe a world free of discrimination."

Everyone would be identical down to the smallest zit and number of hairs. Everyone would be of the same intelligence, ambition, thought process. Everyone would have the same resources at all times. No one would tell anyone else what to do. There would be no leaders or followers. Everyone would be completely identical. No one would be richer or poorer than anyone else. All of the snowflakes would be 100 percent identical. No one would ever experience an unique experience or thought. Everyone would live the exact number of seconds as everyone else.

Terminal Dogma's picture
Sounds like Marxist Utopia

Sounds like Marxist Utopia AKA hell.

Sky Pilot's picture
Terminal Dogma,

Terminal Dogma,

"Sounds like Marxist Utopia AKA hell."

You are right. If everyone was identical there would never be any progress. It's the differences which create conflict and it's that constant conflict which powers progress. So why would you ever want to end discrimination? It would lead to stagnation and to the end of progress for making things better for all of society.

algebe's picture
Read Harrison Bergeron, a

Read Harrison Bergeron, a dystopian short story by Kurt Vonnegut. It describes a world in which everyone is equal by law. To be clever, beautiful, or talented is seen as discrimination against those who lack these qualities. So all traces of excellence must be eliminated.

You can find a PDF on line here: http://wordfight.org/bnw/bnw-unit_packet.pdf

Cognostic's picture
It can not exist. If it was

It can not exist. If it was not skin color, religion, political parties, social status, it would be eye color, hair style or whatever. Human beings are excellent at forming in-group / out-group ideologies. In short, we will always hate. It is in our nature. We pretend we are everything but human.

Nyarlathotep's picture
A world where the color of

A world where the color of your skin doesn't determine how long you can wait to order a drink before the cops get called. Would be a good start anyway.

Sapporo's picture
I could give my answer, but

I could give my answer, but the Universal Declaration of Human Rights sums it up quite well.

algebe's picture
@Sapporo: Universal

@Sapporo: Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Most of the provisions are quite reasonable, but the rights to education and a reasonable standard of living are positive rights, which means that someone else has to provide them. Negative rights are easier to defend.

Japan routinely flouted Article 15 (the right to a nationality). During the postwar period, and especially during the occupation of Japan, large numbers of children were born as a result of relationships or rapes between US servicemen and Japanese women. Until quite recently Japanese nationality could only be inherited from a Japanese father, while to gain US nationality it was necessary for the father to acknowledge paternity. So Japan had a significant population of stateless children.

Australian Aborigines weren't granted citizenship until 1967, which was long after the Declaration of Human Rights.

Tin-Man's picture
Re: "Please describe a world

Re: "Please describe a world free of discrimination."

Boring.

algebe's picture
I think "discrimination" is

I think "discrimination" is possible the wrong word here. I discriminate about the people I choose as friends, the whiskey and coffee that I drink, the restaurants I go to. Discrimination is choice.

"Prejudice" is the real problem. That literally means judging people before you know them, often on the basis of skin color, nationality, etc. To treat someone prejudicially is to act unfairly against a person's interests without reasonable grounds.

Religious people have lots of prejudices. The Catholics hate the Jews. The Christians hate the Muslims. And everyone hates the atheists.

Cognostic's picture
Agree. Discrimination based

Agree. Discrimination based on bias or unfounded assertions. But can the human species not be prejudiced? Can we not have pecking orders? Can we stop - in grop/out group - thinking? I, for one, do not think we can. I think the issue is wrongly stated. We do not need to get rid of prejudice or discrimination. We need to recognize when we are doing it. We need to admit that we are prejudice as a species. It does not end, but we do keep working on it.

arakish's picture
For one, it would not have

For one, it would not have you in it.

rmfr

P.S. - Now to go back and read the other replies.

algebe's picture
What's "rmfr"? All I could

What's "rmfr"? All I could find were "Regional Myocardial Coronary Blood Flow Reserve" and "Rocky Mountain Feline Rescue".

Nyarlathotep's picture
rm -fr

rm -fr

remove files, force, recursive? very dangerous!

arakish's picture
rmfr are my initials.

rmfr are my initials.

I have been doing this for about 15 years know. On forum boards it is kind of a safety feature. If someone hacks my account and posts as me, they may not know I always try to sign each post with "rmfr" and thus is way y'all can know it ain't me.

I did miss on one post somewhere. but only once so far.

rmfr

Tin-Man's picture
rmfr

rmfr

Radically Modified Fart Ripper? (Extremely dangerous!)

mickron88's picture
i think its "rolling my fart

i think its "rolling my fart rapidly"

rmfr!

can you imagine that? rolling your fart?

arakish's picture
rmfr

rmfr

Radically Modified Fart Ripper? (Extremely dangerous!)

Like that one. LOL

rmfr

Cognostic's picture
Racist MoFo Reply.

Racist MoFo Reply.

Peurii's picture
When we insert ourselves into

When we insert ourselves into the virtual world we will eventually inevitably make, there will be no discrimonation. In the virtual world you will be able to do and be anyone and it will feel like the natural world, only better. Will that discriminate the AIs in the virtual world? Maybe. Maybe it will also discriminate people who don't have access to the virtual world, if that is an issue at that point.

arakish's picture
Let me finally answer the OP

Let me finally answer the OP

Describe a world free of discrimination

Hmm... A world where anyone can be whatever they wish to be. And there is no religion. Just imagine.

IMHHO, it is religion that causes all discrimination. Especially the Abrahamic religions.

As Tin-Man put it, it could be boring. But at least there would be no bigots. No misogynists.

And, ultimately, it might even be a happier world to live in.

rmfr

Terminal Dogma's picture
That's nuts, what if someone

That's nuts, what if someone or a group wanted to start a perfect race in their view because it made them happy. In your logic that would be fine.

Grinseed's picture
Describe a world free of

Describe a world free of discrimination:
Indescribable, impossible, a pipe dream.
We are not angels, we're smart and not often nice apes.

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