Theodore Gracyk
Philosophy 110: Practical Reasoning

ANALYSIS OF THOMAS ESSAY IN "INTERRACIAL AMERICA"

• PREMISE: It is wrong to exclude some races with an elitist admissions policy and then to grant admissions exemptions to favored races.

• PREMISE: The problems that are being solved by affirmative action for favored races at the University of Michigan are the result of its own elitist admissions policy.

• CONCLUSION: The affirmative action policy at the University of Michigan is wrong.

• PREMISE: Every time the government uses racial registers to provide benefits to some, it demeans us all.

• PREMISE: The University of Michigan uses racial registers when applying affirmative action when selecting students.

• HIDDEN PREMISE: The University of Michigan  (a government entity) should not demean us all.

• CONCLUSION: The University of Michigan should not use affirmative action when selecting students.

• PREMISE: Each year, the University of Michigan admits some African-Americans to law school based on their high achievement but it admits most based on affirmative action.

• PREMISE: No one can tell which students are admitted for which reason.

• PREMISE: A system that makes high-achievement appear to be undeserving recipients stigmatizes the high-achievement students.

• HIDDEN PREMISE: It is wrong to stigmatize the high-achievement students.

• CONCLUSION: The affirmative action policy at the University of Michigan is wrong.

• PREMISE: The affirmative action at the University of Michigan confers undeserved benefits on African-Americans, which deprives African-American applicants of any incentive to prepare for the LSAT.

• HIDDEN PREMISE: It is wrong to deprive African-Americans of incentives to succeed.

• CONCLUSION: The affirmative action policy at the University of Michigan is wrong.