Re: Evolution and Racism
Sweitzer, Dennis (SWEITD01@imsint.com)
Mon, 19 Aug 96 08:18:00 ESTRuss wrote>>>>
>In my 1993 book, *The Impact of Evolutionary Theory*, I discussed the
same question. We lived in Mississippi in 1962, during the period of
great racial tension. At one point, a (student) newspaper article at
The University of Mississippi, where I taught, pointed out that blacks
were inferior because they evolved long after whites; so, of course,
they should be considered "lower." Racists there liked to quote
Anthropologist
Carlton Coon, who said some very controversial things in his books.
Rather ironic that 35 years ago it was assumed that Blacks descended from
Whites, and therefore were inferior.
Since adaptation drives evolution, it (now) seems more logical to have
claimed that the descendent race is superior to the ascestorial race since
they are better adapted.
Now whites are considered to have descending from blacks, and the earlier
rational for the "inferiority" of blacks is conveniently discarded.
Blacks just can't win on this issue, can they?
Grace & peace,
Dennis Sweitzer