we aren't dogs, we are inherently different, dogs are bred in certain ways and have been for centuries, different for different physical tasks, but if you have things that require mental tasks, you can't say that a person of a different race is better or something...I mean, i know they say certain breeds of dogs are smarter than others, but we aren't dogs, what arbitrary limit is there that we cannot overcome? I don't know if there even is one for dogs, but I do believe that all people are created equal simply because there is no proof for difference other than experience. To assume that people are like dogs and forget about the institutional qualities that keep people (or dogs) worse at passing tests is pretty stupid.
Is natural selection not the same whether it is used by the hand of man or the environment? Organisms breed to adapt to their environment, and the same is with man. Those with darker skins adapted in hotter environments and lighter skins for colder environments; and that is just the most noticable difference. It goes without saying that if there can be physical differences among populations there can be mental differences as well.
You're right in saying that you cannot ascertain whether or not an individual will be intelligent based on their race, but you can say so in statistical terms about the population. Mental abilities do tend to harder to measure because the mind is plastic and highly adaptable. Nonetheless one can understand differences either through science or personal
experience.
Dogs have been bred by a superior species for different qualities...
blacks were bred by whites for slave labor, but in order to create the races in the first place, people simply mated..
Is mankind truly a superior species? In what way? Because we have mental powers that allow us to dress in suits and ties and backstab our own so one can live a more comfortable life? We may have more advantages but they certainly run faster than most people and have a stronger bite, so to speak.
Races are created because a population is separated by others (in a reasonable degree) and certain traits are selected above others that usually adapt to the environment. This is true even with the "artificial" breeding of dogs.
Also, please remember that most of the slaves obtained by Europeans were slaves at African slave traders. Africans first came to Americasa "free" workers but after the Europeans understood their... temperament... they were used as slaves. At least I believe this to be true, I'd like if anyone has an article on free Africans prior to slavery.
yeah, Europeans made guns first, but different societies of the past made their own accomplishments, even if they weren't in weaponry.
Well, the Europeans did get gunpowder from the Chinese.
I'm not saying non-Europeans are failures or incapable of inventing, but Europeans do come up, or have historically, with the most inventions. It is definitely (as with mostly every trait) tied to both environment and genetics.
Ultimately, to assume that a person cannot overcome their parent's society's flaws as if its genetic doesn't make sense...even if you have a horribly underaccomplished society, it's not to say that individuals in that society are not smarter/superior to those in the other society,
Correct; as we would still be single celled organisms if this was the case. It is best to look at traits in a statistical concept, not an individual concept. There are probably many Africans smarter than many Europeans, but statistically it is not the case.
and that if given the same opportunities could not accomplish the same amount. Even if you're "bred to be stupid" like the slaves were, the assumption was that all the slaves were stupid...but you can't say that because it's not like they were given any tests other than the ones at the voting booths that kept them from votingg for like, 100 years...
There were probably some intelligent slaves, but probably not too many. Almost every African celebrated as a hero (Douglass, Beckwourth, Drew, Malcolm X, etc) is usually a mulatto or had substantial European ancestry. Either that, or their accomplishments are hyped or not even theirs to begin with.
there are more dynamics to this than dog metaphors, and considering that racial science doesn't measure up, then...
Genes exist; differences in genes exist for physical attributes. Then why can't they exist for mental attributes? Sounds valid to me.
"When a true genius appears, you can know him by this sign: that all the dunces are in a confederacy against him." ~ Jonathan Swift
