Considering lookism a social injustice
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2021-06-23
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en
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Books should not be judged by their covers. Within society, however, this is a common practice also known as lookism. Lookism can be defined as a practice which relies upon appearance to assign people a certain value. Empirical evidence attests to its practice within many dimensions. Attractive people tend to enjoy advantages because of their looks, whereas ugly people often get penalised. It is unfair that an arbitrary factor, i.e. appearance, affects people’s prospects. So, how should society deal with such practices? By drawing lookism into the debate between Rawlsians and luck egalitarianists, it is established that lookism is onerous to address. Lookism is a result of human interaction, conventions and beauty ideals. And, since the state cannot coerce people’s attitudes, people’s attitudes towards looks require revision with the help of an anti-lookist ethos which focuses on people's equal moral worth. The paper considers ways in which such an ethos can be cultivated.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen