Nov 26, 2021
A Better Way To End Racism?
Today, I’m going to talk about how to end racism again.
Previously, I have explained quite a few times why I believe critical race theory is very unhelpful in the fight against racism.
I have also spent an episode outlining how our understanding of cognitive biases from empirical psychological studies can help us understand and prevent racial discrimination.
Today, I want to approach the problem from another angle: I believe that a stronger social fabric is perhaps what is most needed for the continued advancement of racial equality.
Firstly, a strong social fabric increases social trust, which makes it less likely that people would distrust others on the basis of superficial differences like skin color.
Secondly, a culture that is inclusive and not divisive makes it more likely that people will see their neighbors as being in the same boat, which would lead to a higher likelihood of caring for their welfare, regardless of race, gender or other immutable characteristics.
Furthermore, shared values like concern for one’s family can provide common ground for mutual understanding, while strong social institutions can help bring people together, regardless of cultural background.
Therefore, to truly end racism, we might need to think outside the box. We might need to start doing things differently. We should probably also water down the post-1960s tendency to endlessly critique everything, and start thinking about how we can build society back up again. In other words, we should aim to make society better, not tear it down or tear it apart.
TaraElla is a singer-songwriter and author, who recently published her autobiography The TaraElla Story, in which she described the events that inspired her writing.
She is also the author of the Moral Libertarian Horizon books, which argue that liberalism is still the most moral and effective value system for Western democracies in the 21st century.
