The nature and harm of xenophobia

Abstract

This research is intended to discuss xenophobia, and understand its nature and harms from a philosophical perspective. Much of what has been written about xenophobia largely reflects an empirical account, with limited discussion on philosophical moral theories which may be useful in addressing it. In this essay, I attempt to answer two questions, namely, what is xenophobia, and what is wrong with it. I explore xenophobia from various perspectives, whether it is a mental or a behavioral attitude, and the role of fear in its pervasiveness. In answering the second question, I contend that it causes harm, from individual and collective standpoints, and that it is not in essence, an institutional problem. I argue for the adoption of Kantian ethics to tackle and eventually overcome xenophobia and its harms. I examine the accounts of xenophobia provided by Michael Neocosmos and Ronald Sundstrom in undertaking this ethical exploration.