2011 Articles

Race and the Genetic Revolution - Chapter 2

Pollack, Robert

The document titled "Race and the Genetic Revolution - Chapter 2: Natural Selection, the Human Genome, and the Idea of Race" by Robert Pollack, discusses the concept of race through the lens of natural selection and human genetics. Pollack argues that race, as commonly understood, lacks a biological basis and is instead a social construct rooted in imagination and cultural perceptions. He emphasizes that all humans are part of a single species with origins in Africa, and that the genetic differences among populations are too minor to justify racial categorizations. Pollack critiques the notion that genetic variation can be used to define race, warning against the dangers of such thinking, especially when applied to medicine and social policy. He concludes that the idea of race should be understood as a toxic social construct rather than a scientifically valid category, and that the focus should instead be on the universal human capacity for learning, change, and free will.