Project overview

We can be disadvantaged by our appearance in various ways. When making appointing to jobs, selectors may prefer a candidate because of their physical characteristics, for example, their height or weight, or because of the style in which they dress. When making personal choices, potential life-partners may be put off by a person’s looks. But when is appearance discrimination or its effects unjust? This question has received surprisingly little attention but it is crucially important, especially since social norms governing how we should look can be racially-biased or gender-specific. This project addresses these issues using the tools of analytic philosophy.