few topics provoke more disagreements than ones involving the extent and possible cures of racism, and a part of those disputes can be attributed to confusion in the concept of racism itself. William Julius Wilson, for example, writes that the word racism “has been used so indiscriminately, has so many different definitions, and is often relied on to cover up lack of information or knowledge of complex issues, that it frequently weakens rather than enhances arguments concerning race.” I agree with Wilson that confusion about racism (and other concepts) can be pernicious, making fruitful discussion of many issues more difficult and disagreements harder to recognize and assess. So the first step is to understand the concept of racism.

While there is no generally accepted understanding of racism, there is at least a general agreement that racism is in some way wrong or objectionable. But beyond that lies widespread controversy and often confusion. What, precisely, is racism? Is it fundamentally different from religious bigotry and other forms of prejudice, and if so how? And what, exactly, is wrong with racism? Is it a character defect, or does its evil lie in its consequences? Or is it both?

Some think racism refers to people's beliefs about the inferiority of another race; others see it as a feeling or an attitude; still others emphasize the public and institutional forms it can take – slavery, segregation, and other institutions that establish and reinforce racial oppression.