The Obligation to Education in a Consequentialist Lens

In a recent Oklahoma legislature meeting, Republican representative Mike Reynolds asserted "they have no responsibility to ensure access to college education."

The discussion arose in the midst of the ongoing debate of whether or not to expand Oklahoma's Promise. This program provides funding to low-income students for their secondary education. One side believes that it is the state government's job to ensure bright, qualified students get a chance to receive higher education. According to Democratic representative James Lockhart, these students are imperative to help because of their potential future value; it is this type of student "that will cure cancer, create the next big invention or possibly become a great leader."

Reynolds', on the opposition, denied society's responsibility to fund any one else's education and, regardless of how bright a student may be, "their potential benefit is irrelevant." Just to clarify though, Reynolds is not opposed to funding public K-12 education. His support towards providing financial assistance simply stops at the 12th grade level.

Gender Boundaries

In Hilde Lindeman’s opinion, gender is not factually based. Gender is a norm established by society. In her essay “What is Feminist Ethics?” she details the effects that a prescriptive gender identity can bear on the interactions and relationships between men and women. According to Lindeman, “it’s a power relation, so it tells men that they’re entitled to things that women aren’t supposed to have and it tells women that they are supposed to defer to men and serve them” (155). Society’s construction of gender spurs the sole delegation of power positions to men over women and the unequal distribution of resources, such as money.

The potential effects of defined gender are clearly identified by Lindeman in her essay. However, what she points out is not so clear, is how we as a society actually discern these definitions and draw a black-and-white line between male and female. She points to cases like those with Klinefelter’s syndrome, with three sex chromosomes, and the gray scale of gender that enters in cases of transgender or gender neutrality.

The Cohesion of Culture & Theory: Becca Stanek

Does cultural relativism equate to intercultural tolerance? In the eyes of “Ima Relativist,” the narrator of the counterpoint essay in Russ Shafer-Landau’s The Ethical Life, cultural relativism does just that: it facilitates understanding and mutual respect between vastly different cultures. Rather than adopting a staunchly black-and-white, “we’re right and you’re wrong” viewpoint, the theory accepts that morality is a social construction, thus shifting right and wrong to “different" (200). The elimination of objective right and wrong breeds tolerance, inhibits criticism and judgment, and builds a sense of solidarity amongst cultural majorities according to Ima (200).