What would you say if a scientist claim that a particular race is more or less intelligent than the other ?

Question

Would you accept a so called "scientific finding" claiming that a particular race is more or less intelligent than the other base on the colour of their skin?

If yes or no what would be your personal reaction to such claim?

Answer 1

I would say that the scientist has rigged the experiment so tht the racial group of which he is a member would come out the smartest and that the scientist is a bigot.

Answer 2

First, I'd bet myself 20 bucks that I can guess which group the "scientist" himself belongs to.  Then I'd buy a steak with my winnings.

Answer 3

That's a crock. Intelligence is not related to skin color. If anything intelligence is related to cranial capacity and frontal lobe development ( wrinkles on a brain) and even that is still up to debate. My reaction to such an assumption about skin color/intelligence would be to laugh in that persons face.

Answer 4

I would ask him where he was going to get the other race to compare us, as there is only one human race on this planet.

Answer 5

I don't want to appear racist, but it is established that some nationalities have higher IQ's and do better in school. Among these are Japanese and other Asians as well as Jewish. Well, at least I'm not a White saying my race is superior intellect. What would be pigheaded and racist would be stating that all people of a race or nationality are superior intellect to another. We are individuals.

If it comes up that certain races or nationalities have longer life expectancies. No one seems to get upset.

But there are some facts. I think one of those being that Blacks show superior athletic ability. After all, they do dominate most sports. I'm not being racist if I recognize superior qualities of other races and nationalities. It is to be accepted as a compliment.

Answer 6

i would say thats a load of racist_______

Answer 7

I would ask for proof, know the determining criteria for why the the said scientist has come this conclusion (know the alpha level, what hypothesis tests/ statistics were used, make sure they were not biased) then, after doing more research,  publish the findings if it is deemed to be the truth.

Science was never meant to please purists or those who turn a blind eye to what is fact, science exists to establish facts based on observations for the purpose of reacting to these facts (no matter whose feelings may get hurt from it.)  

Indeed, it is not unheard of for a particular race to have distinct advantages over other races. Just look at who dominates every competitive sport in the United States.

That said, just as some races have distinct physical advantages over others, so too can it be argued that some have disadvantages over others, most especially with regards to intelligence.

One must keep in mind though that in science, there are no absolutes. If this scientist claimed that a certain race was generally less intelligent than other races, this does not mean that ALL of race B are less intelligent than race A. There will still be extremes. There may very well still be people from race B who will be more intelligent than race A.

If the scientist said that all of race B is less intelligent than race A then I would be doubtful. But if he said that there was a tendency for race A to be more intelligent than race B, then I would look into an explanation for why this is so. Perhaps go back to natural selection? Was intelligence not a valuable asset for Race B's genetic history? Was literacy discouraged? What are the race's values? Etc...

Remember, we have no room for purists in science. Every new idea must be investigated no matter how much it stands to change pre-established notions or hurt people's feelings. If Race B was less intelligent than Race A, we don't say "s***w that, I'm not racist" we say "why is race B less intelligent than race A" and "what do we do about it." This is called pluralism.

This has always been necessary. Had we never found pluralism, we would still be fearful of falling off the flat earth and burning heretics.

Answer 8

i think a scientist has made that claim. i cant remember his name but, i do remember being told that a receptionist at my university directed him to sign  the guest log of the n**i party, and not the guest speaker log! :S

Answer 9

It would have to be a d@mn good scientific finding.  The thing is, I'm not obligated to believe every study I read.  The reason that scientists study the same thing over and over again is because people do stuff wrong, tests go wonky, scientists' prejudices get in the way, all sorts of things.  When I was in high school physics, we had to send the cart down the track at least five times to even come close to figuring out the right equation, and our preconceived ideas weren't even affecting the carts at all.

So, we're in a world where tons of tests and studies have shown that intelligence is not related to skin color.  Sure, there's a genetic basis, but there's no evidence that those genes are the same ones that code for skin color, or that they're attached to them.  We've got plenty of evidence that economic class is pretty important, and that centuries-old discrimination has a lot to do with what races tend to be in what economic class.  So to get me to think that skin color correlates with intelligence, you'd better find the smart genes and the melanin genes, and they'd better be the same.  That's about what it'll take to overcome years of studies and tests.

Answer 10

No group is more or less intelligent based on the color of their skin.  It cannot be denied that every scientific study regarding IQ and people identified by region of origin that certain populations have a lower IQ than others.  This is not a function of skin color but more a function of multi generational malnutrition, substandard living conditions and lack of resources to either educate or help these people.

Sub Saharan Africans have scored lower on average IQ in every study ever done dating back over 50 years of observation.  This isn't racism, it's merely an observed and verified fact.  It isn't "politically correct" to point this out but it is counterproductive to ignore it.  The world community has provided billions of dollars in assistance to this region over a period of generations and there has been little benefit to the people realized.

In order to best help this group of people their problems and all of the root causes of those problems must be recognized.  Otherwise only the symptoms will be addressed and underlying issues will reoccur over and over.