Superior: The Fatal Return of Race Science - Angela Saini

This post has 14 comments with rating of 5/514

• 
  flarecat777
  June 9th, 2019
  

  Is this were the “White men can’t jump” theory comes from?

  Superior: The Fatal Return of Race Science - Angela Saini
• 
  caesar963
  June 9th, 2019
  

  

  Ten stars, not. The spurious scientific justifications can actually be traced back to the dark shadows of the Enlightenment. However, the political applications were given added impetus with the mobilisation of Social Darwinism.
  Good author, I’ve read her stuff in Prospect!

  Superior: The Fatal Return of Race Science - Angela Saini
• 
  RedditSucksArse
  June 9th, 2019
  

  Thx for the share.

  Superior: The Fatal Return of Race Science - Angela Saini
• 
  itxlan
  June 9th, 2019
  

  

  Anyone who’s tempted to take this book seriously would do well to read the Amazon review, entitled, “Far too short on actual science”.

  “… Saini, on the other hand, has set out to prove that contemporary population geneticists such as David Reich and Luigi Cavalli-Sforza are making the same mistakes that were made by the seventeenth- and eighteenth-century scientific racists who believed that indigenous Australians were not fully human. One must recognize what an extraordinary assertion this is: to claim that some of the most prominent geneticists in the world are continuing to make a fundamental error that has gone uncorrected for over two hundred years, but that a journalist with no background in genetics is able to detect the error…”

  But many thanks for the upload!

  Superior: The Fatal Return of Race Science - Angela Saini
• 
  theblackguy
  June 9th, 2019
  

  Anyone whose is tempted to base their opinion on a book on a copy and paste the review from Amazon would do well to read this too;
  It was always going to be difficult to follow Angela Saini’s hugely popular Inferior, but with Superior she has pulled it off, not just in the content but by upping the quality of the writing to a whole new level. Where Inferior looked at the misuse of science in supporting sexism (and the existence of sexism in science), Superior examines the way that racism has been given a totally unfounded pseudo-scientific basis in the past - and how, remarkably, despite absolute evidence to the contrary, this still turns up today.

  At the heart of the book is the scientific fact that ‘race’ simply does not exist biologically - it is nothing more than an outdated social label. As Saini points out, there are far larger genetic variations within a so-called race than there are between individuals supposedly of different races. She shows how, pre-genetics, racial prejudice was given a pseudo-scientific veneer by dreaming up fictitious physical differences over and above the tiny distinctions of appearance - and how this has been continued and transformed with genetics to draw conclusions that go against the fundamental proviso of science - correlation is not causality. Saini demonstrates vividly how, for example, socio-economic or cultural causes of differences in capability, and even medical response to drugs, have been repeatedly ascribed to non-existent biological racial differences.

  Along the way we come across the horrendous race-based acts of the past - from slavery to the Nazi atrocities - which have been justified by fictitious assumptions about the implications of race. But Saini makes clear that this is not just a historical problem. One of the excellent aspects of the book is the way that she brings in interviews and personal experience, so, for example, there is a fascinating section on discrimination on the basis of caste in India, and attempts to justify this on a genetic basis. Similarly, she repeatedly shows how white supremacists misuse information to draw incorrect and vile conclusions.

  There are fascinating interviews with scientists whose work strays into misuse of evidence to imply something that the data simply does not support. With one exception of Robert Plomin, whose work seems far more solid than the rest, and can only be used to support racism by deliberately misunderstanding it, a lot of this work seems to have been poorly executed or involves drawing inappropriate conclusions. A considerable amount of this nonsense involves IQ testing - yet it has been shown that all IQ tests do is demonstrate an ability to do well at IQ tests, an ability that can be learned - so provides no useable evidence.

  The coverage might have easily been extended to cover other discrimination on perceived differences, but I can see the benefit of keeping the focus on race. For me, the only disappointing thing is that Saini shies away from the logical conclusion of her observations. Having categorically shown that race does not exist, it’s ridiculous that we still classify people this way. As the author acknowledges, we need some means of categorisation to fight prejudice - but surely it should be based on real markers such as socio-economic means and culture - to continue to do so by race having established that race doesn’t exist seems oddly incongruous, and makes it more difficult to counter racists by giving weight to the labels they use.

  Overall, a brilliant book, highly readable, which, if there were any justice, would put a final nail in the coffin of racism.

  Superior: The Fatal Return of Race Science - Angela Saini
• 
  caesar963
  June 9th, 2019
  

  It should’ve gone the way of pseudo-sciences such as phrenology (where intelligent, law-abiding types always conveniently seemed to have the same skull formation as the phrenologist and his drinking-buddies). The politicisation of appearance is all too present still, but it’s not just the lunatic fringes, it shows signs of mainstreaming.

  Superior: The Fatal Return of Race Science - Angela Saini
• 
  itxlan
  June 9th, 2019
  

  theblackguy wrote: “Having categorically shown that race does not exist, it’s ridiculous that we still classify people this way”.

  I agree that race isn’t necessarily a useful categorisation for most purposes but to actually deny that race exists only demonstrates a fundamental ignorance of biology.

  “There is a widespread feeling that the word “race” indicates something undesirable and that it should be left out of all discussions. This leads to such statements as “there are no human races”.

  “Those who subscribe to this opinion are obviously ignorant of modern biology. Races are not something specifically human; races occur in a large percentage of species of animals.

  “You can read in every textbook on evolution that geographic races of animals, when isolated from other races of their species, may in due time become new species. The terms 11 “subspecies” and “geographic race” are used interchangeably in this taxonomic literature”.

  Harvard professor, Ernst Mayer, “The Biology of Race and the Concept of Equality (2002)”

  https://lesacreduprintemps19.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/mayr-2002-biology-and-race.pdf

  PBS describes Ernst Mayr as, “perhaps the greatest evolutionary scientist of the twentieth century”.

  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/06/2/l_062_01.html

  Wikipedia opines that, “Ernst Mayr was one of the 20th century’s leading evolutionary biologists. He was also a renowned taxonomist, tropical explorer, ornithologist, philosopher of biology, and historian of science. His work contributed to the conceptual revolution that led to the modern evolutionary synthesis of Mendelian genetics, systematics, and Darwinian evolution, and to the development of the biological species concept.

  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Mayr

  Superior: The Fatal Return of Race Science - Angela Saini
• 
  trollprince
  June 10th, 2019
  

  

  The “consensus” among psychologists is that there is a correlation between race and IQ. Not in dispute.

  This hack write brings in “character”, which means nothing except, I’m assuming, “white folks think black people are naturally bad.” Only virulent actual racists would believe that. The same as the Japanese thought the Chinese were mongrels, same when the Zulus genocided 1M non-Zulus bantu.

  This guy is a shill.

  Superior: The Fatal Return of Race Science - Angela Saini
• 
  trollprince
  June 10th, 2019
  

  I just read blackguy’s comments… he is solely fixated on white people being racist to blacks!

  Oh, my sweet summer child… the lodestone of liberalism never points true north.

  Superior: The Fatal Return of Race Science - Angela Saini
• 
  DTomb
  June 17th, 2019
  

  

  You’ve definitely got a high IQ trollprince. Of Habsburg stock no doubt.

  Superior: The Fatal Return of Race Science - Angela Saini
• 
  erouting
  August 4th, 2019
  

  Per the DOJ and FBI stats blacks committed 50%+ of all murders in the US from 2005 to 2015. But that’s inconvenient so let’s ignore it. Or, better yet, let’s claim that its due to social and economic factors. Wait, what’s that? Other racial groups don’t behave in that fashion under similar circumstances? Well, let’s just call pointing out that racist. In fact, let’s just call any facts that get in the way of claiming that there are no racial differences racist. Because ignoring reality is the best method of ensuring harmonious social integration between people of all races. After all, its worked so well to this point.

  Superior: The Fatal Return of Race Science - Angela Saini
• 
  mistaenz
  September 4th, 2019
  

  The stats you mention are just false and has never been corroborated on any official government site or report. Same boring propaganda. You know your ideas mean nothing when you have to talk about antiquated theories that were formed ages ago and have since been debunked or even worse, never proven to begin with. While there are more Black men in prison than white men (by about 5%). There are far more white women in prison than black women (by at least 25%). I argue this tells us more about how the justice system handles certain groups than it does about the behavior or intellect of said groups. It definitely has nothing to do with IQ. IQ is the equivalent of log cutting as a sport. The only people concerned with it are those who are good at nothing else. Any IQ test, even the most thoroughest, is incomplete as it pertains to measuring one’s true cognitive ability. Mankind’s survival has always been predicated on using eq (emotional intelligence) over IQ. The funny thing is most of you who advocate that white people generally have a better IQ, usually have a low IQ relative to your black counter-parts. I guess the earth is flat too, right?

  Superior: The Fatal Return of Race Science - Angela Saini
• 
  trax0r
  November 30th, 2019
  

  Is theblackguy actually arguing that medications respond differently in people because of socioeconomic status or culture and not because of genetic differences in people? Seriously? Wow, go back to school. Its a scientific fact that people of asian decent are typically poor metabolizers of certain CYP enzymes. Its why they are poor metabolizers of codeine, and typically get less beneficial pain relief from it. Their bodies dont metabolize it into morphine as effectively. True, ts not just asians, im a poor metabolizer as well. But to deny that its genetic polymorphism that is responsible is absurd. I suppose black people are more predisposed to sickle cell anemia as well because they are poor? Or because of different cultural interest? To deny race exist is just absurd. To argue the superiority or inferiority of a race is a separate issue. Or to use it as some sort of useful social classifier. To deny it exist is just delusional. Its time people take responsibility for their own actions and lives instead of blaming everything on all the perceived social injustices against them. Not everyone responds the same way. And lets stop spreading this ‘privilege’ myth while we are at it, and stop accusing people of showing their privilege because they are not racist like you. Take responsibility and accept scientific facts.

  Superior: The Fatal Return of Race Science - Angela Saini
• 
  rofflecopter
  June 9th, 2020
  

  This is a nice site and it saddens me that trolls come here.

  Thanks for the upload/seeding folks :-)

  Superior: The Fatal Return of Race Science - Angela Saini

Add a comment (please log in before commenting)