A fi nal consideration of the argument about equality will provide a transition
into the next section, in which we examine arguments in support of preferential
hiring. Some defenders of preferential policies acknowledge that these
policies do deny white males equal treatment. However, they usually make a
distinction between violating someone’s rights and overriding those rights for a
more pressing ethical goal. Thus, even if a white male’s right to equal consideration
for a job were denied, the denial might not be ethically objectionable if it
came about as the means for addressing other ethical obligations. The next section
examines the ethical reasons supporting preferential policies and considers
if such goals justifi ably override equal opportunity for white males.