Socrates is famous for condemning the unexamined life. On Dec 1., Cornel West, alluding to that famous potbellied Greek, also condemned the unexamined life, and then proceeded to expound his own theory of suppositions: a long, albeit contrived, political diatribe.

It was an emotional appeal masquerading as a form of rational discourse.

The motivational speech (as I perceived it) seemed to have only one purpose: to bolster that superficial cultural phenomenon that looks for some ethereal explanation to society’s problems: a type of mysticism.

The particular rationale West appeared to promote in his “discussion” overlooked that aspect of personal responsibility necessary to function successfully in society. To simply lay the blame at the doorstep of “white supremacy” ?” that implicit, insidious force supposedly governing all things in the U.S. ?” is to negate a great many things that contribute to social inequity.

In a recent London edition of the Financial Times, West and colleague Sylvia Ann Hewlett described the results of their new study concerning the nature of hidden racial biases in the work place. Both note in their article entitled “How subtle bias keeps minorities out of the boardroom,” that “in the U.S., 42 percent of minority female executives in large companies feel constrained by the white male model ?” constantly editing themselves to look, sound and act like white males.”

The study shows, according to West and Hewlett, that minorities, or women more generally, feel an implicit pressure (hidden biases) to conform to a “white male” model of the working professional. This study is an example of what I understand West to mean when he speaks of an inherent “white supremacy” or eurocentrism.

Now, I don’t particularly enjoy dressing up, but I certainly don’t expect anyone to offer me a position in the business world unless I dress accordingly: and I don’t necessarily subscribe to a particular style of dress, but I have no problem conforming to “western” style business attire. So of course I agree that everyone, not just white males, should be held to the uniform standards of professionalism exhibited in a given workplace.

In other words, conforming to certain accepted social customs present in the workplace is not the result of some hidden racial bias, but is instead a pragmatic choice.

When individuals assent to particular values promoted by a company, community or national government, implicit in the decision is a conscious affirmation of the benefits received by assenting.

No country, community or workplace is perfect, and there will always exist certain inequalities within them. But one should not conclude that these inequalities are necessarily designed to keep minorities and women out of certain positions, or that they are part of a conscious plan to keep The Man in a position of dominance.

Those individuals who feel marginalized by society for any number of reasons should stop asking when someone is going to give them a seat at the table; seats at the table are not “given out,” they are taken.

The sins of the past weigh heavily on all Americans; instead of pointing fingers at each other we should attempt to meet on that common ground where most, so long as they’re open to compromise, can find solutions to many of society’s problems.

Contact the Kyle Hardwick at [email protected]