Would you accept a claim that one race is less intelligent than the other?

Question

Would you accept a so called "scientific finding" claiming that one race is intelligent than the other or less intelligent than the other as a result of the colour of their skin?

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

Answer 1

yes

Answer 2

From what I see we have made a religion of political correctness, but color of the skin alone has nothing to do with intelligence.  However, some groups of people in (from) Africa do seem to have a genetic disadvantage when it comes to measurable cognitive abilities.  When one factors out all the environental situations, something is still affecting these scores.  The idea of race is only impeding our ability to get at the root of the problems.

If we can identify genetic problems facing some groups of Africans & find a way to modify this behaivior we can do something to help.  However,  sterotyping all Africans would be unjust & self defeating.  Blaming Europeans for problems & refusing to admit that Africa has problems that we simply don't understand is short sighted & self defeating.

Something is causing the problems in Africa & we need to explore not only cultural & environmental, but genetic factors if we are ever to identify the problem.  I cannot establish that culture alone is responsible for  the high murder rate among American Black children. Granted this is a hard problem to resolve, but unless we consider all factors & work hard to eliminate them, we don't have a chance of solving this.

EDIT:

Chuckle, I suspected this would draw thumbs down from the mentally challenged & politically correct twits on the board... thanks, NOW can you identify yourself so I can block your ignorant butt in the future?

Answer 3

If they put it in the terms of "as a result of the colour of their skin", I would laugh at them.

I would accept a study that stated because of different evolutionary paths taken throughout history, some groups of people had a tendency to be more intelligent then others. To say that those findings were false would be ignorant. Each particular race developed because of their surroundings, their physical environment molded their bodies, and their social structure changed their brain. Stating that all races have an equal probability to be intelligent is similar to saying that all dog breeds are equally intelligent.

Answer 4

No.

Brain cells are in the brain, not the skin.

My personal reaction to such a finding would be to reject it.

FWIW

I'm White, Anglo-Saxon and Protestant,

And I think everyone's pretty much on the same level.

Answer 5

Certain population groups (not necessarily races) do place less value on traditional ivory tower education, which may lead them to seem less intelligent to the general public. They also simply might lack access to such resources. But the idea that one "race" is less intelligent than another is absurd.

Answer 6

No.. that is absolute ignorance everyone can achieve anything given the chance.

Answer 7

Yes on average it's obviously true.  It's well known that OVERALL on average asians have a higher IQ than everyone else.  There are various types of intelligences that are not included in a normal IQ test.  As far as the types of intelligences that relate to math,science,and economics looking at society and the progress of countrys you see a clear pattern of which groups are the most likely to be smarter.  Almost every major country in history as been white or asian.  Roman Empire,Greeks,Russians,British,Isreal etc.

  This same logic holds true for why 80 percent of the players in the NBA are black.  African Americans on average are physically superior.  There are a number of reasons for this the main one being the selection process for slaves that took the strongest men because they were the most valuable.

  Even with awful test scores and a population that is severely undereducated the United States has managed to prosper economically.  The reason is the same as why a McDonalds can be run by people with 70 IQ's.  Once the systems and laws are put in place by the very smart people the country basically runs itself through those rules.  As workers most people do a singular type job that relates to the overall picture of a company but doesn't require them to know that much.  

  It's very possible for you to have a low IQ and never even know it because those things are based on combinations of individual aptitudes.  You can still do anything you want to do you just have to work a lot harder than the person who picks it up really fast.

Answer 8

Possibly, although I wouldn't believe it would have anything to do with the actual color of the skin. Because I don't want to offend any race, and I am not racist I am going to invent my own race to show my example. Pretend there was a race of people called Piyrokins, and lets say Piyrokins all had purplish skin. Many of them seem dumb, but if you think about it, they are only purple because of the genes they inherited. So wouldn't that mean there "dumbness" was inherited too. My point is, they may have inherited there stupidity although there skin color most likely has nothing to do with it.

Answer 9

for normal, healthy, not sick people...

...intelligence is a relative thing, depending on the environment/information/reaction needs of the individual in question....



...some things/abilities are good in some places but useless in others, some knowledge is great for some things but not in others, etc, understand?

I think of intelligence as something that can change, grow, or that can be improved, but never fixed of determined.

problem most of the times with intelligence is due to social, or cultural restrictions on mental capabilities of the subjects in question.

Answer 10

Look at the statistics...

Answer 11

I would not accept a claim that there are such things as "races" (as they apply to humans).  You learn things like this when you take an anthropology class.

Answer 12

thats just bull.

to really find that out. you'd have to compare millions of people, head to head.

and even then, what does intelligent define?

i mean, intelligent could be how good you are at math or how well you can farm and make the land provide for you and your family

impossible claim.

Answer 13

Absolutely not, it's completely untrue.  Every culture and race has its intelligent people and those who are not so intelligent.  

I think the level of intelligence for people is partially due to natural ability, and also to environment.  If someone who has the potential to be smart grows up with people pushing them to do well in school and impresses upon them the importance of education I think they will probably attain their potential.  But how would that same person fair in an environment where education and intelligence are not deemed important at all?  

Some people have brought up the fact that some Asian countries have a higher IQ than others.  I'm not going to dispute this, I'm sure it's entirely true, but is it really due to the fact that they're just smarter than everyone else or that their parents push them to do well in school and be educated?  I don't honestly think there is a race that is smarter than another, I think there are certain cultures where education is highly valued and therefore impressed upon the children, but I don't think their potential to be more intelligent is more than any other race.  Besides, how can one race be more intelligent when there is no genetic feature that constitutes race?  In an anthropological viewpoint, race does not exist.

Answer 14

I don't think there is any doubt that the Chinese, the Vietnamese and the Jews have the highest per capita of intelligent people in the world with or without any scientific findings.

However, even though intelligence is a wonderful gift , brains are  not everything. Many of the most successful singers, entertainers, entrepreneurs  and politicians that ever lived were not particulaly intelligent but they made up for it with other kinds of talents.

Answer 15

No - that's rather silly..did they test an entire race ? IMPOSSIBLE . Does that scientist work for algore by any chance ?

Answer 16

I don't believe that if you are born black or white or yellow or whatever that you will automatically be smart or not. However I do believe that being apart of a certain race or culture you are prone to be more or less intelligent only because of the type of environment that you are brought up in is different and has different values.

Answer 17

In a word. No.

Answer 18

One study or finding?

No.

There's WAY too much evidence that we're all really the same to take some one finding otherwise seriously.

And it makes no sense that it would in any way be tied to skin color.

I'd assume it was flawed; or possibly that it was picking up other factors than race, such as childhood nutrition and educational and economic deprivation.

Answer 19

They just rely on statistics and studies of whats happened in the past.

  All that happens to 97% of the people is that they are born into a particular family/ race/ culture and never question that muck thats going on around them.

  For e.g. black people have traditionally been unsuccesful in a whole lot of areas compared to the same number of white people.

  If you are a black person and believes the above - then your life will reflect that.

  Anyone can do anything thats been done EVER by anyone as long as there's not something wrong with you physiologically!

  Even if there is something wrong with you physically, you can still achieve and do SO SO much - just look around at what disabled people have single handedly acomplished.

  Its BS those studies! Total c**p!

Answer 20

Humans are the same all around the world...there are no races.

Answer 21

When they can remove culture from intelligence tests, which they can't, I might consider the idea.

Answer 22

Yes. But it's not the result of colour of skin. It's brainsize.

Also beware: races from east-Africa (Kenia, Ehtiopia and Somalia) are as intelligent as Caucasians and maybe Asians. Other parts of Africa, yes.

The guy is not crazy, he is just very intelligent and that means that sometimes you find things that are unheard of but true nevertheless.

At the same time, you can claim that people from races in West/South-Africa could be better equipped for the future than others, simply because we don't know what features will be necessary for survival in the future. At the moment, it seems to be intellence, but this could change all of a sudden. Maybe in the future, advantage is for those with longest legs or something. Also, sexual 'skills' are essential, and have always been (sexual selection)- and that's where Asians are worse off.

Answer 23

Absolutely not!  My reaction?  The guy who came up with that idea is nuts.

Answer 24

I don't think any scientist with any intelligence can may a claim to say that a person skin color determine their intelligence. Intelligence is a property of mind, the capacity to reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, use language and learn. I believe that intelligence are unique trait. No two person thinks alike.

Answer 25

I am sorry but when you say race that takes in to whole group. You can not say the whole group is less or more.  There individuals in each that may have more than others.  That does not constitute one full race over the other.  There is no science to back any clames to this better one  over the other

Answer 26

No... I believe that every race are created equal

The level of intelligence differs on how it is practiced or applied

Answer 27

It just isn't so.  There are specific factors that play a part in the intellectual development of different groups.  These should always be taken into account.