In a street lit by the light of a burning car, crowds of masked men chant and wave the Irish tricolour. Then, they charge towards a line of waiting police officers, who try in vain to contain the angry crowds. 

On Thursday evening riots broke out in central Dublin. Fireworks and bottles were thrown at the police, while shops and businesses were looted. Several vehicles were also set on fire, including a bus and a tram.

The riots were a response to a stabbing that took place at a local school. Rumours spread on social media that the attack had been carried out by an immigrant. According to the Gardai, the Irish police, the rioters were a "lunatic, hooligan faction driven by far-rightA range of ideologies that emphasise social order, racial purity and the elimination of opponents. ideology". 

It has raised troubling questions about the resurgence of racism and intolerance in the world. 

Far-right ideology is becoming more popular. Last week saw election victories for two far-right politicians: Geert Wilders in the Netherlands and Javier Milei in Argentina. In 2022, Giorgia Meloni became prime minister of Italy, leading a far-right party hostile to immigrants.

The consequences of this rise in intolerance are already being felt around the world. In addition to the violence in Dublin, we have seen a surge in hate crimes in many countries. This violence is not only terrifying for the victims, but it also creates an atmosphere of fear and intimidation that can silence dissent and stifle debate.

Why does racism persist in modern society? For many, this debate revolves around whether human beings are fundamentally prejudiced.

According to the Implicit Association Test (IAT), most people have prejudiced views. This is an online survey that asks users to match positive and negative words with pictures of Black and White faces. The majority of users linked positive words with White people and negative words with Black people. Only 18% showed no preference at all.

Jules Holroyd, a researcher at Sheffield university, believes the test provides an explanation "for why exclusion and discrimination in various forms persist".¹

However, critics of the test argue that most people receive different results each time they take it. And a 2013 study by psychologist Frederick Oswald concluded that, "the IAT provides little insight into who will discriminate against who".²

Some scientists think there are evolutionary reasons why people trust others who look like them. However, what matters more is the way they treat members of other ethnic groups in everyday life. As author Michael Sherma argues: "Although bias and prejudice still exist, they are not remotely as bad as a mere half a century ago, much less half a millennium ago."³

There is also plenty of research to suggest that modern society is becoming more tolerant. A recent Ipsos poll showed that the vast majority of British people would be happy for their child to marry someone from a different ethnic group.

Almost everyone agrees that racism is a problem. However, to remove it from society, we have to understand its real cause. 

Yes: There are evolutionary reasons why most people have racial preferences, an insight that modern tests confirm. We should admit that racism will always be with us, so that we can start fighting it.

No: Racism is a learned behaviour, not an inherent trait. People can be taught to be racist, but they can also be taught to be anti-racist. People who live in more multi-cultural societies are shown to have fewer implicit biases.

Or... Whatever the answer, we can still create inclusive societies. Despite inbuilt preferences, changing views on issues like marriage show people can become more tolerant over time.