It is an article of passionate faith among 'politically correct' biologists and anthropologists that brain size has no connection with intelligence; that intelligence has nothing to do with genes; and that genes are probably nasty fascist things anyway.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Some biologists believe brain size and genes do not affect intelligence due to ideological biases. Dawkins suggests this view stems from political correctness.
- In plain terms
- Political views sometimes block scientific ideas about genes and intelligence.
- What can you take from it?
- Separate scientific inquiry from political correctness.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How does politics influence science?
- What drives scientific consensus?
Another view
The link between genes and intelligence is complex and debated.
More from Richard Dawkins
It may be that brain hardware has co-evolved with the internal virtual worlds that it creates. This can be called hardware-software co-evolution.
Permalink to quote #32 The likelihood is that, in 100,000 years time, we shall either have reverted to wild barbarism, or else civilisation will have advanced beyond all recognition …
Permalink to quote #34 Another force driving progressive evolution is the so-called 'arms-race.' Prey animals evolve faster running speeds because predators do. Consequently predator…
Permalink to quote #31
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