To: Brumar89 who wrote (4071 ) 5/2/2010 7:14:42 PM From: Solon 2 Recommendations Read Replies (2) | Respond to "Darwin’s own theory of evolution by natural selection mortally undermined the idea of race." In an address to the Medico-Psychological Society of Paris in 1857, the Christian socialist Phillipe Buchez considered the meaning of social differentiation within France: humanitas-international.org "What of Darwin himself? Adrian Desmond and James Moore, in their recent book Darwin’s Sacred Cause, suggest that Darwin’s righteous anger about slavery – his ‘sacred cause’ – instilled in him a deep moral belief in human unity that shaped his entire view of creation. "Darwin’s own theory of evolution by natural selection mortally undermined the idea of race. His own political and philosophical instincts had instilled in him a deep belief in human unity and revulsion of slavery and polygenist arguments. And yet so deep were racial ideas embedded in nineteenth century consciousness, so difficult was it for liberals to understand the contradiction between their abstract belief in equality and the concrete reality of an unequal society, that even for Darwin not just racial difference, but racial struggle too, was a reality.""There is no intrinsic link between the idea of race and a rational or scientific view of the world. On the contrary: what made ideas of race plausible were the growth of political sentiments hostile to both the rationalism and the humanism of the Enlightenment. It is true that many in the nineteenth century looked to science to legitimate their political and moral claims about human differences. That is a warning about the need always to be on guard against the illegitimate use of science to give authority to political and moral claims. But that is a warning against a political culture that exploits science in such a fashion, not against the scientific method itself.kenanmalik.com
