5.2 Challenging the Mere Preferences Argument

The two strategies for challenging the second premise of the Mere Preferences Argument lead to two different ways of identifying if a racial fetish is morally objectionable. The first strategy asserts that racial fetishes are always connected to racist stereotypes. As racist stereotypes are morally objectionable, racial fetishes are morally objectionable. Gathering evidence for this claim would involve studying the stereotypes held by people with racial fetishes, and the claim would be undermined if it was discovered that there are some individuals with racial fetishes who do not hold any racist stereotypes. If this was the case, then perhaps a racial fetish would be morally objectionable if it arose from racist stereotypes that someone holds (for example, if they held the belief that East Asian women are more submissive), but would be if they did not hold any such stereotypical beliefs.

Dr Zheng thinks that it is at least possible that some individuals’ racial fetishes don’t depend on racist stereotypes, for example if they are based in ‘idiosyncratic personal histories – a first girlfriend or sexual encounter, say’ (Zheng, 2016, p. 406). However, according to the second strategy (which she adopts), these racial fetishes would nevertheless be objectionable. This is because the second strategy focuses on the effects of racial fetishes on the targets of the fetish. According to the second strategy, figuring out if a racial fetish is objectionable involves looking at whether there are harmful effects on its targets.

There is substantial evidence for the negative effects of racial fetishes on East Asian women, from personal accounts, media reporting, and social science literature. Below are two quotations that illustrate the impact that racial fetishes have.

According to Zheng, the psychological burden imposed on East Asian women by racial fetishes constitutes a form of racism or racial disadvantage in itself. Additionally, these patterns of doubt and suspicion are part of a larger system of racial hierarchy.

At this point, you may or may not be convinced by Zheng’s argument. Whether or not you are convinced, carefully and critically evaluating an argument involves considering objections to the argument. After assessing the objections, you will have a better sense of whether you think the argument is strong (perhaps because the objections are easily resolved or are not significant problems for the argument), or whether you think the argument is weak or fails (perhaps because the objections cannot be resolved or present significant problems).

In the final part of the conversation, Dr Zheng is asked to respond to two concerns: firstly, the worry that someone who has no racist feelings or beliefs would be considered a racist person under her account, and secondly, the challenge that racial preferences cannot be objectionable because they are not under an individual’s control.

Activity 11

Spend about twenty five minutes on this activity

Watch the following video.

Transcript

After watching the video, answer the following questions. You may need to watch the video again, pausing as you go.

1. (a) What is Dr Zheng’s response to the concern about calling someone racist who has a racial fetish but may not endorse any racial stereotypes?

She thinks that someone with a racial fetish just is a racist person.

She is not interested in evaluating whether someone is a racist person or not, only looking at the effects of their behaviour on others.

She thinks that there is nothing racist about racial fetish held by someone that does not endorse any racial stereotypes.

 

(b) Do you find her response convincing? Why or why not?

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Discussion

You might find Dr Zheng’s response convincing, perhaps because you think that it is a useful strategy to look at the effects of a behaviour rather than deciding whether the person doing the behaviour is racist or not. Or, you might not find her response convincing, perhaps because you think someone who is not a racist person cannot perform racist behaviours.

2. (a) What is Dr Zheng’s response to the concern that racial fetishes are not morally objectionable because they are outside of our control?

She thinks someone may not be able to control basic feelings or desires, but they can control how they respond to and act on those feelings or desires.

She thinks that racial fetishes are entirely outside of people’s control, and that is a problem for her argument.

She thinks that people have complete control over their feelings and desires, and so have a responsibility to decide to feel differently.

 

(b) Do you find her response convincing? Why or why not?

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Discussion

You might find Dr Zheng’s response convincing, perhaps because you agree that someone cannot control their feelings or desires, but they do have control over their actions and therefore they are able to take the strategy she suggests of reflecting on their preferences and trying to alter their behaviour. Or, you might not find her response convincing, perhaps because you think that it is very difficult for someone to change their behaviour if they have a strong racial preference.