Philosophy of Science and Race by Naomi Zack

by Naomi Zack

In this concisely argued, short new book, well-known philosopher Naomi Zack explores the scientific and philosophical problems in applying a biological conception of race to human beings. Through the systematic analysis of up-to-date data and conclusions in population genetics, transmission genetics, and biological anthropology, Zack provides a comprehensive conceptual account of how "race" in the ordinary sense has no basis in science. Her book combats our everyday understanding of race as a scientifically supported taxonomy of human beings, and in conclusion challenges us to be clear about what we mean by "race" and what it would require to remedy racism.

Paperback

First published September 20, 2002

About the author

Naomi Zack is a professor of philosophy at the University of Oregon. She is a prolific author, having published seven books in addition to a large number of papers and contributed chapters in feminist ethics, particularly in areas having to deal with race or disaster.

Reviews

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

A NOTED PHILOSOPHER'S FURTHER REFLECTIONS ON RACE, AND SCIENCE

Naomi Zack (born 1944) is Professor Emerita at University at Albany, NY. She has also written/edited 'Thinking About Race,' 'American Mixed Race: The Culture of Microdiversity,' 'Inclusive Feminism: A Third Wave Theory of Women's Commonality,' 'Race/Sex: Their Sameness, Difference and Interplay,' 'Women of Color and Philosophy: A Critical Reader,' 'The Handy Philosophy Answer Book,' and 'Ethics for Disaster.'

She states in the Preface to this 2002 book, "While the full scientific story about the nonexistence of human races does require some patience and concentration to grasp, it does not require any more preparation and training than other subjects about which educated people feel obligated to know something... That is why, as a philosopher, I decided to compose a detailed conceptual account of how the idea of race fails at this time to have a support in the relevant contemporary sciences... If this page happens to be as far as any reader has time to go, let me give away the crux of the matter right here: It is the taxonomy of human races that science fails to support, not any one or even many of the hereditary traits that society deems racial."

Here are some quotations from the book:

"The subject of this book is the philosophy of science of race. By 'philosophy of science' I mean systematic and logical analysis of the findings and conclusions of scientists." (Pg. 1)
"Once the biology of race is put to rest, 'race' will look and feel differently to people of all races. What we now accept as race will not have the same motivational force. Will that end racism? Only to the extent that racism is dependent on the assumption that race is biological, which is an empirical matter. My own guess is that racism is highly dependent on biological assumptions." (Pg. 8)
"Kant held that the inner nature or character of man is his distinctively human essence that makes it possible for him to develop as a civilized being. He believed that character varied among nations, however, because talent is not evenly distributed among human groups. And he concluded that the only race capable of progress in the arts and sciences is white European. 'The white race possesses ALL motivating forces and talents in itself.'" (Pg. 22)
"However, as a point of intellectual history, Hume's polygenicism was a milder form of white supremacy than Kant's monogenicism. The connections drawn by Hume did not purport to be necessary, although they were presumed to be permanent. Kant's connections between what he thought was physical race and what we still regard as moral virtues were posited as both necessary and permanent." (Pg. 31)

For anyone studying the controversial topic of racism among famous philosophers, this excellent book will be "must reading."