Prejudice is a prevalent issue in many societies today, and yet many still puzzle over its origins and causes. Prejudice can broadly be defined as a “deplorable set of attitudes and practices based on animus and hatred for this or that group” (Sandel, 2014: 1). In other words, however innocent the origins of prejudice may be, it is regarded in modern society as problematic and harmful. Stangor and Swim even point out how the resulting damage from prejudice can be “psychological, structural or even physical” (Stangor & Swim, 1998: 12). It is important, therefore, to understand the origins of prejudice as a means of combatting its harmful effects. This paper will argue that prejudice in modern society can stem from cultural, historical, and political factors.
Cultural factors may play a significant role in prejudicial behaviour in modern society. In looking at human history, the philosopher Emmanuel Kant argued that prejudice could be understood to be “any source of judgment whose validity we have not explicitly examined and justified”, originating from “tradition, habit, custom, upbringing— even our natural desires” (Sandel, 2014: 1-2). In considering this definition, it becomes clear that one origin of prejudice lies in the cultural traditions of a particular group of people. Kant’s definition suggests that prejudice is not a matter of reasoned judgement by individuals, but instead results from preconceived beliefs and ideas that are handed down from generation to generation within a particular culture. In discussing “natural desires”, furthermore, he suggests that the origins of prejudice within particular cultures may lie in primitive human instinct. For example, a natural human desire for more territory and resources might, in the distant human past, have resulted in conflict between different groups of people, such as the indigenous inhabitants of Australia and the European settlers who later invaded; that conflict might then be passed down from generation to generation as a cultural tradition of prejudice against those of different skin colour, resulting in a prejudice whose real reasons are lost to time. In this way, it can be seen that although outward physical characteristics are the supposed triggers of prejudice, the real causes of prejudice lie hidden in the past. History, therefore, as well as culture, is important to understanding the origins of prejudice.
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Human history is a key source of prejudice between different groups. Auestad, for example, explains that prejudice forms a part of the “symbolic and evaluative process of self-interpretation” which is “accompanied by a process of symbolic and evaluative interpretation of others that should be regarded as being equally central to human personhood” (Auestad, 2015: xvi). In other words, Auestad argues that as a means of establishing their own identities, human communities seek to identify their differences – and usually, their superiority – to others. Prejudice can therefore be understood as a driving component of the historical formation of cultural and national identities. A good example of this can be seen in the history of Nazi Germany: the Aryan German identity was predicated upon difference to and superiority to many different groups, including Jews, Gypsies, and the disabled; prejudicial behaviour towards these groups therefore became a means of establishing this new identity. Historically, Jewish identity was furthermore predicted upon a response to this prejudicial persecution which marked the Jewish community as different from others, and helped to establish, for example, the national identity of countries such as Israel. As this example indicates, conflict in human history results from the need to establish identities based on difference, and inevitably results in prejudicial beliefs and behaviour.
Finally, the origins of prejudice are reinforced by political institutions and factors. In discussing the impact of prejudice within Australian culture, for example, Healey writes that prejudice often occurs “at a systemic or institutional level through policies, conditions or practices that disadvantage certain groups” (Healey, 2014: 8). What this suggests is that, just as prejudice is established as a part of cultural traditions, it is also established as part of the political framework of particular states and communities. It is often the case that the prejudicial beliefs and traditions of the dominant culture within society become entrenched in policy and law, as a result of the greater political power of those dominant groups within that society, and as a means of protecting that dominance and power. Once prejudicial beliefs and behaviours are protected by law, they become a part of the fabric of that society, making them difficult to dislodge even if views and laws later change. A good example might be the racial prejudice that affects African-Americans in the United States: as the dominant culture, “white” citizens were able to create laws and policies limiting the opportunities, education and rights of “black” citizens, and even after such practices were abolished, in-equalities in opportunity remained built-in to the framework of the political and legal systems. For example, although African-Americans were granted the right to equal education, their previous lack of access meant that large numbers lacked the background and training to gain access to the most elite and effective schools, continuing the established disadvantage. Prejudice, therefore, originates as much in the legal and political frameworks of societies as it does in individual beliefs and practices.
As this discussion suggests, therefore, prejudice has its origins in culture, history and politics. What may have begun as the natural instinct of primitive human beings has evolved through historical conflicts to become a part of the legal and political institutions of societies designed to support hegemonies of power.
- Auestad, L. 2015. Respect, Plurality, and Prejudice: A Psychoanalytical and Philosophical Enquiry into the Dynamics of Social Exclusion and Discrimination. London: Karnac Books.
- Healey, J. 2014. Racial Prejudice and Discrimination. Thirroul, N.S.W: Spinney Press.
- Sandel, A. A. 2014. The Place Of Prejudice. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
- Stangor, C., & Swim, J. 1998. Prejudice: The Target’s Perspective. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.
