THE ETHICIST TAP : RACISM [ A ]

RACISM is a moral failing, but it comes in degrees. And the moral failing is coupled with a conceptual one, the human propensity to traffic in essentializing labels.

That's why it's usually wiser to attach '' racist '' to actions rather than to people. When a racist goes from a kind off act to a kind of person, from what you did to who you are, we risk another kind of essentialism that freezes character, dissolves context and invites dubious inferences.

If the guy is '' a racist, '' then every action gets read through that ; if he's not a racist,'' even ugly behaviour can get waved away.

Like you, I favor a lot of grace in a world full of sinners. And cutting off everyone who is morally flawed should leave you with a very small coterie of friends - who then might be tempted by the flaw of moral vanity.

[ In which case you'd have to get rid of them, too.]

I'm not saying there aren't lines to be drawn; If your classmate sincerely thinks the slave trade or the Holocaust was fine, we're probably beyond teachable moments.

But a private, candid conversation with him could give you a better sense of where he's coming from, and him a better sense of where you're coming from.

You say you're an equality-minded liberal. The way to live your creed isn't by curating a spotless feed of spotless minds but by helping people do better.

Hew to the norm; judge the person by what he does next ; show grace where it stands a chance to help someone grow.

That's the difference between moral vanity and moral work.

The World Students Society thanks Professor Anthony Appiah, N.Y.U.