Compare And Contrast Young And W. E. B. Dubois

W.E.B. Du Bois and Iris Marion Young were prominent political theorists at the forefront of their respective political eras. Central to Dubois’ definition of freedom was the belief that freedom was the elimination of societal suppressors, including white elites and institutional racism. Young, on the other hand, lists five faces of oppression that threaten one’s ability to realize true freedom. Both present persuasive views on freedom, but Du Bois’ argument is stronger, because of its solution driven approach, focused logic, and emotional appeal.
Du Bois’ argument begins with the notion that American society created a seemingly unbridgeable divide between persons of color and whites. Du Bois stories how the majority of white folk desire to

In lieu of a more conservative approach focused on vocational training that other civil rights activists including Booker T. Washington had recommended, Du Bois argues for higher education at universities. Du Bois understood that blacks who did not attend universities were failing to reach their full potential and that constant failure is what keeps propelling the cycle of generational racism. Du Bois believes that the Negro’s fundamental desire is to understand himself, and college fosters that opportunity. According to Du Bois, with equal education and political freedoms (including suffrage, voting rights, civil rights, etc.) black Americans may find it possible to dwell above the

Young begins her theory by defining injustice by two parameters: oppression and domination. She details how each functions to promote injustice, thus restricting one’s ability to pursue true freedom. She then continues by explicating differences between two similar concepts: oppression and discrimination. The two differ in their targets and methods; oppression focuses on groups while discrimination targets the individual. Additionally, oppression tends to be socially present, while discrimination is intentional. Both oppression and discrimination together undermine efforts at achieving liberty for their respective victims. Of paramount importance in Young’s conception of freedom are her five faces of oppression: exploitation, marginalization, powerlessness, cultural imperialism, and violence. While potentially dangerous in limiting oppression to strictly five “faces,” these “faces” serve their purpose in forwarding how oppressive behavior impacts its victims. Respectively, the five faces maintain hierarchical structure in society, establish uselessness and lack of self-respect, force victims to abandon their autonomy, establish a sense of double consciousness, and set a standard for violence. Young’s five faces of oppression serve as a good model for freedom because they are broad in scope and create lines for comparison. Rather than reducing oppression to describe specific groups such as Jews or