Implicit Bias

Implicit biases are, roughly speaking, automatic cognitive tendencies to evaluate or stereotype. They are particularly problematic when they target social identities, and have been hypothesized to have a role in sustaining patterns of discrimination and inequality. Research on implicit biases raises a whole host of philosophical questions, such as: What are implicit biases? What wrongs or harms are implicit biases implicated in? Are people responsible, individually or collectively, for having implicit biases and acting on them? How relevant are implicit biases to an adequate understanding of injustice and to responses to it? What sort of responses should we take? This entry examines these questions and points to other areas of philosophy where implicit bias research is of import.