Species and Race

[commiecrusader]

Since an admin appears to have deleted the debate about this, for obvious reasons, from the thread about the origins of the White man, I will start a new thread.

So, is there such thing as Race? Or are Race and Species the same? What does everyone think?

[The Feral Underclass]

It wasn't deleted. The board crashed and lots of posts etc disappeared..

In terms of biology there is no such thing as race.

[redstar2000]

In fact, I think we should consciously stop using the word "race" altogether...except in polemics against racists, of course.

I've been "training myself" to use the expression "the human species" in place of "the human race".

And to regard, say, African-Americans as an "ethnic/cultural group"...instead of a "race".

Cappies enjoy making fun of the left's "obsession with terminology"...and I don't begrudge it to them one bit.

When we "name things" more accurately, we change (over time) the perception of reality itself...and in a more accurate direction.

I think in this and many other ways, it is we who will have the last laugh.

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/123.gif

[ComradeChris]

I agree with Redstar. We should be focusing on our similarities, not our differences as the hierarchists do.

I didn't think race was anything but a capitalist derived term to give reason for placing a hierarchy on our differences.

[Iepilei]

I agree. There is absolutly no difference between humanity outside of cultural upbringing. We're each adapted for our environments, hence our differences in appearance.

Other than that, we're all pink on the inside.

[Raisa]

If we are different species we could never handle that information right now.

I think about that sometimes. Like alot of mammals....

Dogs are dogs, but there are shitzus and there are rot weilers and they are different species. But they are still dogs. Sometimes they interbreed, it aint no thing.

There are different species of cats.

Horses. They are different species but their obviously the same thing cause they can make babies together.

People however....have races.....

Sometimes i do think we have species and we just cant handle it, because we cant even handle being different "races"

[Djehuti]

Our species (if two individuals kan mate and produce fertile children, they are of the same species) is Homo Sapiens, our sub-species is Homo Sapiens Sapiens. I do not know if there are any races under HSS, and I do not really care anyway; the differences between different people are so minimal, and natural racial antagonism is totalt bullshit.

[rebelyell4]

I'm gonna have to side with redstar on this one. We are a spiecies, not a race. And if people want to say that we are obsessed with terminology...they can go suck an egg.

"We are one race
the human race
just a different smile
for a different face"

in solidarity,
Carlos X

[Severian]

Yeah, I agree: "race" cannot be used to describe anything biologically real. For the social construct, nationality, ethnic group, etc are probably better terms.

In biology, "race" is sometimes used as a synonym for "subspecies" - a part of a species with distinct traits, with a defined geographical range.

IMO - and the opinion of some prominent biologists, like Stephen Jay Gould - humanity cannot be divided into subspecies in a biologically meaningful way. The reality is much more fuzzy than any possible lines that might be drawn.

For some other species, it's also turning out that some subspecies lines that have been drawn in the past described nothing real....some wolf subspecies for example. (http://www.wolf.org/wolves/learn/intermed/inter_sci/wolf_subspecies.asp)

[Morpheus]

Originally posted by [email protected] 12 2005, 01:11 PM
In fact, I think we should consciously stop using the word "race" altogether...except in polemics against racists, of course.
Should we stop using the word "class" too? Should we say the working ethnic/cultural group instead of the working class? Race is a socialist construct, but it still exists. It's a modern form of caste. I don't think we can understand current society without using the concept of race any more than we can modern society without the concept of class.

[Commie Rat]

if we are all HSS that makes sense can to Simese Cat be differnet colours?

yes they can that doesn't make them differnt species does it ?

if we cant handle our own diffences who would we react if we met extra-terestrials?

[redstar2000]

Originally posted by Morpheus
Race is a [social] construct, but it still exists. It's a modern form of caste.

It certainly is a social construct and always has been. But what do we gain by continuing to verbally "legitimize" it? To act "as if" it were "real" even though it does not reflect biological reality?

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there is a small but growing number of people who identify themselves as "bi-racial" (the option of more than two "races" is not yet offered).

An analysis based on the parallels with caste might have been fruitful in 1900 or even 1950...does it still make sense now?

Will it make any sense at all in 2050?

As I said in my initial post, the word is still useful in polemics against racists.

Otherwise?

http://www.websmileys.com/sm/cool/123.gif