[ExI] Race is arbitrary {Terry}

[citta437 at aol.com]

"
Terry writes

> Race as a word is arbitrary {based on random whim not on reason} used 
for convenience of communication, not an absolute or permanent 
condition as the nature of thought and feelings are temporary. When the 
weather center predicts a storm, it gives an approximation of the 
weather condition subject to change moment to moment. .

> We do not see thoughts of race or abstract ideas as movements of the
> mind/brain. MRI showed brains are impacted by emotions or what is 
going
> in the structure of the brain during periods of stress. One who 
clings
> to the idea of race superiority or whatever  feels stressful when  
he/she
> is challenged.

Lee: "What do you mean, exactly, by "race superiority"?  If you mean
"excel at certain activities", then it's their adversaries who feel
stressful when presented with the facts. Face it, it's going to be
a long time before many Chinese, despite their numerosity, can
run as fast as Kenyans. And Eskimos?  They're just not built for it,
sorry."

>Thoughts like race superiority is based on the observer's 
whims/desires. It is convenient to generalize that above observation 
>but is it based on facts without prejudice or value judgement?

Lee:"There is also a fact that East Asians have larger brains, 
*especially*
relative to their body size than do Africans, just as the early 20th
century scientists had calculated, before Stephen Gould and a lot
of politically correct types muddied the waters and successfully
hit the truth ("for fear of social consequences", I surmise). You
can't hide from truths like these forever."

>Not all East Asians have larger brains than Africans relative/in 
proportion to their body size. How do you prove that generalization? 
Genetic variance occur irrespective of race.

Lee: "On the other hand, if you mean that some race is as superior to
another as, say, chimpanzees are superior to the little animals
they hunt, then I agree with you that no human race is superior
to another."

>I posted yesterday morning, "What makes us human?" as shown in the 
science documentary with that title that there are >three factors 
contributing to the fact that humans who shared around 98% of their DNA 
with the apes are superior to them >when it comes to culture, language 
and technology.

>Some humans behave similar to apes in some instances when emotion over 
rides reason.

Terry