Diversity has become the euphemism of social justice for the elite on the global scale. Real diversity, and thus real variety, would dissolve the very existence of the meaning of elitism. It would be defined by the inclusiveness of the abnormal, and other underrepresented and uncounted minorities into the general population of this university. It would be not just the intelligent (however that is defined), but also the unintelligent. Not just the functional, but also the dysfunctional. Not just the abled, but the disabled. Not just the tolerant, but the intolerant. Not just the intellectual, but the anti-intellectual. And it would not just be these polar opposites, but everything in between. As it stands today, diversity is about social justice for “equals” within their respective classes. Thus activism for diversity has been for maintaining the traditional social stratification and disparity of power by consolidating interactive systems of people and balancing the counterparts of each system.
The problem with this is that real diversity only connotes variety. Diversity in today’s terms is about achieving a racial and ethnic balance within each strata of social class. To illustrate this point, it is akin to the infinite mirror effect. The goal of diversity is to stabilize a percentage that corresponds to the general population (e.g. 10 percent black) within all levels of social stratification (wealthy, upper middle class, middle class, working class, poor) so that race has no bearing on socioeconomic status. But real diversity would be seen more like chaos and randomness than the consistent pattern that the infinite recursion would show in the macro viewing.
If this is the case, then the activists for diversity are not fighting for real diversity and neither are they fighting for true social justice. What they are really fighting for is a seat for themselves – and thus their respective group – at the table of the elites. This entails maintaining and “improving” the traditional hierarchy and boundaries of the meritocratic classes to make outcomes more “fair” for deserving equals. But meritocracy – considered to be a legitimate method behind the selection process of the elites – has flaws of its own.
If meritocracy is rule by those with merit, and that merit comes from superior intellect, then intelligence has to come from some objective value so that the system is fair. Unfortunately, intelligence lacks this quality as sensing and sensitivity are purely subjective matters until it is communicated and understood. But what about those who can’t understand and those who can’t be understood? How are we to decide who is intelligent when understanding is necessary on both parts? It is only when intelligence is monopolized through scientization that an objective shared reality is created, and this is the main flaw. A uniformity of intelligence won’t take into account all other forms and expressions of intelligence.
The flaws of this endeavor of “social justice” infiltrate not only the meritocratic process but also the end product, the establishment of social classes with commensurate influence. As people become filtered into their respective classes, the few at the top with their “superhuman” and “supernatural” abilities become the charismatic leaders for the many. These people display their god-given talents in a theatric showing of magic and the rest become entrapped in their own powerlessness. The patronizing ways of the elite inevitably convinces people to support initiatives that are against their own interests.
The greatest injustice of all is when others tell you what to value (certain concepts of equality) and what to believe (science) even if it may be “true” and consistent with some external, credible, and established framework. What is really going on is an attack on individual autonomy and the freedom to decide.
Activists for diversity are no young turks, but rather false prophets. It’s the vision of the uniformity of diversity where the “best of the best” leaves no room for real diversity or real social justice.
Steven Travis Reisinger ‘10