PHILOSOPHY - Race: Racial Ontology #2 (Naturalist Theories of Race)

Summary

In this philosophical discourse, David Miguel Gray explores naturalist theories of race, suggesting that racial properties are physical, existing independently of human constructs. He contrasts this with social theories, where race is a human-made concept. Gray discusses the 'new biology of race,' which posits that while races have natural properties, these do not determine intellectual or moral characteristics. He introduces the concept of reproductively isolated breeding populations as a way to define race, considering both phenotypic and genotypic similarities. The video challenges viewers to consider how these naturalist views address the domain, expertise, and mismatch problems in racial ontology.

Takeaways

• 🎓 David Miguel Gray, an assistant professor of philosophy at Colgate University, introduces part two of a series on racial ontology, focusing on naturalist theories of race.
• 🌿 Naturalism in the context of race is the belief that racial properties are physical properties, as opposed to social properties that depend on human actions and decisions.
• 🔍 The script contrasts naturalist views with the idea that races are created by people, which will be explored in part three of the series.
• 📚 Historically, racial naturalism was associated with the belief in natural essences or inheritable properties that placed races in a hierarchical system, but these views are not scientifically supported today.
• 🔬 The 'new biology of race' suggests that races have natural properties common to most members, without attributing intellectual, moral, or behavioral characteristics to these properties.
• 🌱 Reproductively isolated breeding populations are proposed as a way to define race, where members of a group can sexually reproduce but are isolated from other groups, either geographically or by social barriers.
• 👪 The concept of ancestral relations is used to explain race membership, where if both parents belong to a race, their offspring also belong to that race, but this can lead to questions about mixed-race individuals.
• 🔄 The script points out the infinite regress problem in explaining race membership through ancestry, as the explanation keeps being pushed back a generation.
• 🔄 Two potential solutions to the infinite regress problem are proposed: sharing observable phenotypic properties or sharing genetic properties within a reproductively isolated breeding population.
• 📖 The script recommends readings by Michael Udel, Dorothy Roberts, Robert DeSalle, Sarah Tishkoff, and Alan Templeton for further understanding of the topic.
• 🤔 The discussion invites further contemplation on how naturalist accounts of race can address the domain problem, the expertise and deference problem, and the mismatch problem outlined in the first part of the series.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the second part of the series on racial ontology?

The main focus is on examining naturalist theories of race, which propose that racial properties are physical properties of the natural world.

What does naturalism entail in the context of race?

In the context of race, naturalism suggests that racial properties are physical and can be investigated and discovered by natural scientists, independent of human actions or decision-making.

What is the difference between natural properties and social properties as discussed in the script?

Natural properties are those that are not dependent on human actions or decisions, like the limestone of the Great Sphinx of Giza. Social properties, on the other hand, are dependent on human acts and decisions, such as the statue's shape into a Sphinx.

What is meant by 'reproductively isolated breeding populations' in the script?

Reproductively isolated breeding populations refer to groups of the same species that live in the same place and can sexually reproduce, but do not interbreed with other groups due to geographical or social barriers.

How does the concept of ancestral relations play a role in defining race according to the naturalist view presented?

Ancestral relations are used to define race by considering if one's parents are both of a particular race, then the offspring is also of that race, assuming a shared genetic or phenotypic heritage.

What are the two options given to explain what makes someone a member of a race in the naturalist account?

The two options are: 1) sharing simple phenotypic or observable properties specific to other members of one's reproductively isolated breeding population, or 2) sharing similar genotypic or genetic properties.

What problem arises when trying to define race using ancestral relations and reproductively isolated breeding populations?

The problem of infinite regress arises, as the explanation of what makes someone a member of a race is pushed back a generation each time the question is asked, without a clear starting point.

What are some of the older views on racial naturalism that the script mentions are not currently held for scientific reasons?

Older views included the idea that races have natural essences or shared observable natural properties that place them into a hierarchical system based on physical, behavioral, intellectual, and moral characteristics.

Who are some of the authors recommended for further reading on the topic of race and genetics?

The authors recommended are Michael Udel, Dorothy Roberts, Robert DeSalle, Sarah Tishkoff, and Alan Templeton.

What is the 'new biology of race' as mentioned in the script?

The 'new biology of race' refers to the view that races have natural properties common to most members of that race, but these properties do not imply any intellectual, moral, or behavioral characteristics.

What are the potential problems that a naturalist account of race must address according to the script?

A naturalist account of race must address the domain problem, the expertise and deference problem, and the mismatch problem, which were outlined in the first video of the series.