Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Biological Determinism

“[U]nless one is to yield to biological determinism and accept that the possession of black skin creates a unique black mentality and character, it is hard to see what living connection exists between American blacks today and their heterogeneous West African ancestors three centuries ago. And biological determinism--the theory that race determines mentality--is of course just another word for racism. Biological determinism is exactly the theory apologists for slavery used in the American South before the Civil War. It is bizarre to hear blacks invoking the same theory today.” 

― Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., The Disuniting of America: Reflections on a Multicultural Society