What do you think of various philosophers who....?

Question

.... drew, or insinuated the possibilty of, biological and anthropological/societal development theories along racial/skin complexion lines?

Do the locations of the earth's lights at night tell a story?:

http://atimes01.atimes.com/atimes/images/earth_night.jpg

Answer 1

I think this needs to be looked at freely and not hindered by either political correct nonsense, nor racist presuppositions.

I do not think we have the answers here, because the question is poorly framed.

Answer 2

Lights at night show areas with a high density of electricity consumers.  Since one does not need to be on the grid and consuming electricity in high volumes at night in order to be considered developed, there is not a strong correlation between civilization and the data from your image.  Would not the data instead indicate some combination of nocturnal life and wastefulness though?  That's what I see.

As for the idea that development is influenced by skin color or related biological differences, I'd have to say I'm more inclined to point out that environment is a factor in such biological differences and also in the habitation patterns of a culture.  It is more difficult to construct cities in deserts becuase local carrying capacity is low.  Thus cultures that developed in places like the Sahara so that people who becuase of their environment have dark skin and becuase of their environment have a pastoral and off-the-grid lifestyle.  Just because trends move in the same direction, like skin color and lack of electrified-at-night cities, does not mean they have a cause-and-effect relationship.