Is vs. ought

[Frank Cross]

Hey, change of context!  My post only dealt with the state of public
opinion, including both numbers and intensity.  I'm not claiming
that the support of all these organizations makes something right.
But we were debating the state of public feelings.

The ought comes from the extent to which a group is disadvantaged.
Which is pretty easily measurable by looking at income, education, etc.
And which, to be controversial, would clearly support affirmative
action in favor of males in some contexts today.


At 03:05 PM 8/1/2000 -0700, you wrote:
>             """""""" circa, say, 1940, 1950, 1960, or 1970 (the proper
>date may turn on the particular hypothetical involved).          """"""
>If that claim is unsound as to the examples I gave in the first paragraph,
>why should it be sound as to race preferences?  Frank Cross writes:   Well,
>any good economist will tell you to choose revealed preferences
>  My impression is that virtually every organization
>  Schools
>   The Democratic Party is explicit.
>The Republican Party is implicit in its support (forget what they say,
>  How likely is it that all of these entities, which
>depend in varying degrees on public support, have it wrong, while the
>courts have it right?
Frank Cross
Herbert D. Kelleher Centennial Professor of Business Law
CBA 5.202
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX 78712