Structural Inequality, Norms, and the Problem of Blame

Theories of structural inequality stress the role that everyday processes and background norms play in the reproduction of such inequalities. Here, even those individuals that are explicitly committed to egalitarian ideals fall foul of implicit biases in their engagement with these norms. This reality of structural injustice reveals a problem when it comes to constructing a suitable response. In short, how do we appropriately hold those who engage with these harmful norms responsible for their (in)actions, especially when such norm engagement is unintentional? In response, several theorists have recently suggested that we can invoke the concept of proleptic blame when holding individuals to account for their contributions to such norms and processes. Here, blaming practices are used not as a method of punishment, but of drawing individuals’ attention towards a flaw in their moral reasoning. Given the fact that many contributions to structural injustices are also harmful by themselves, this makes the proper use of blame unclear. In response, this paper has two aims: i) First, to explore the usefulness of the concept of proleptic blame when dealing with contributions to inegalitarian norms; and ii) Second, to outline how we ought to employ blaming practices in the face of those actions that harm both on a cumulative and on an individual level.