To: r9etb
A restatement of what I said to you. All you're saying is that "better" traits -- whether alone or in combination, lead to improved probability of reproductive success. Thus, "fitness" is still in the picture -- and your argument merely demonstrates your agreement with that claim.
As the reproductive advantage or disadvantage of a specific trait is often relative depending on the environment, it is impossible to classify any trait as "superior" to another in an absolute sense. As such, it is impossible to use the theory of evolution to claim that one configuration of traits in "absolutely" superior to another.
Empirically, one might point to the fact that sub-Saharan African countries tend to be (and have pretty much always been) savage sh*tholes, whereas non-African countries tend to be less so. One might also point to the positive correlation between IQ and income -- and note which races appear at the upper and lower points of each scale.
What research indicates that these findings are a direct result of the races of the people involved?
263 posted on
08/28/2006 11:22:30 AM PDT by
Dimensio
(http://angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif <-- required reading before you use your next apostrophe!)
To: Dimensio
What research indicates that these findings are a direct result of the races of the people involved? What I said, and you're dodging this very hard, is that people use evolutionary theory to justify racist claims. You asked me how evolutionary theory could be used to justify such claims.
That you're now asking me to prove these claims is a tacit admission that I've answered your question. Please note (again) that I am not making the claim -- I am merely pointing out, in response to your request -- how one can use the theory to make the claim.
Given the context of the discussion, there is no need to prove the claim that evolutionary theory justifies racism -- the point in question was in whether the claim has been made at all: and it has been. QED.
271 posted on
08/28/2006 11:29:59 AM PDT by
r9etb
To: Dimensio
As the reproductive advantage or disadvantage of a specific trait is often relative depending on the environment, it is impossible to classify any trait as "superior" to another in an absolute sense. As such, it is impossible to use the theory of evolution to claim that one configuration of traits in "absolutely" superior to another. You keep adding things to what I said. There is no need to invoke "absolutely" in a racial application of evolutionary theory: "relatively superior" is sufficient to support a racist argument.
275 posted on
08/28/2006 11:31:43 AM PDT by
r9etb
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