Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-g7gxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-09T14:26:26.616Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Limitations to genetic comparison of populations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 September 2011

J. M. Thoday
Affiliation:
Department of Genetics, University of Cambridge

Extract

In this Symposium we are to discuss biological and social aspects of race. This is, of course, a tender topic, in dealing with which I feel strongly that we must all take especial care to express our ignorance when we are ignorant. Especially is this so in the most sensitive area of the topic, the question whether or not differences between racial groups in so-called mental abilities have an innate genetic component or not. I hope to convince you that nobody knows the answer to this question, and that in present circumstances it is impossible to know or even to foresee with certainty that it will ever be possible to know. Hence, whoever speaks as if he knows that such a racial difference is genetic, or whoever speaks as if he knows that such a racial difference is not genetic, is showing a bias that cannot be justified by the facts. Both they who say the differences are genetic and they who say they are environmental or cultural are equally prejudiced.

Type
Genetic aspects
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1969

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Gini, C. (1954) The physical assimilation of foreign settlements in Italy. Atti del IX Congresso Internazionali de Genetica Caryologia, Vol. VI, Suppl., p. 246.Google Scholar
Katz, I., Henchy, T. & Allen, H. (1968) Effects of race of tester, approval-disapproval and need on Negro children learning. Personal. soc. Psychol. 8, 38.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McGurk, F.C.J. (1967) The culture hypothesis and psychological tests. In Race and Modern Science. Ed. Kuttner, R.E.. Social Science Press, New York.Google Scholar
Sherwood, J.J. & Nataupsky, M. (1968) Predicting the conclusions of negro-white intelligence research from biographical characteristics of the investigator. Personal. soc. Psychol. 8, 53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vandenberg, S.G. (1968) Primary mental abilities or general intelligence? Evidence from twin studies. In Genetic and Environmental Influences on Behaviour. Ed. Thoday, J.M. & Parkes, A.S. Oliver & Boyd, Edinburgh.Google Scholar