Defining reverse discrimination as hiring or admissions decisions based on normally irrelevant criteria, this book develops principles of rights, compensation, and equal opportunity applicable to the reverse discrimination issue. The introduction defines the issue and discusses deductive and inductive methodology as applied to reverse discrimination. Part Two (Awarding Positions by Competence) examines desirable positions, rejection of alternative rules, and qualifications. Part Three (Compensation and the Past) studies the principle of compensation, group liability, individual competency, and the various levels of discrimination and compensation. Part Four (Equal Opportunity and the Future) examines utility and rights, and affirmative action. Among the conclusions are: those most competent for positions acquire the rights to those positions; hiring by competence was held preferable to such alternatives as random lotteries for fulfilling positions; strong reverse discrimination is justified for such individuals according to the precept that the principle of compensation is to take precedence over further applications of the distributive rule; and preferential treatment was held unjustified when directed indiscriminately towards members of groups defined only by race or sex. An index, a selected bibliography and notes on each chapter are provided. (LC)