What sociobiologists said

Eric Franz Leher fr102anz at netvigator.com
Sun Feb 24 07:35:39 PST 2002



> Yes, he does get it. You've snipped out the rest of what he said.
> Essentially, he's saying, Yes, the sociobiologists are a "coherent enough
> group that their use of technical terms needs to be respected" If so, then
> they're coherent enough that you can't dismiss the racism and sexism of the
> rest.
>

This is a non sequitur. Coherent in sense A does not imply coherent in sense B. They're a 'coherent' group of users of technical terms in so far as they are biologists, not racists and sexists.

The racism and sexism are not justified by the actual science. If anyone tells you they are, they are full of shit. I don't know how many times I've said this.

It's possible to be a complete nut and do good science. Witness Newton. For that matter apparently good old Einstein (such a lovely man, such a pacifist etc) communicated with his wife with written notes the content of which was the nice middle-class equivalent of 'make sure I get clean linen every day, bitch.' (I'm not vouching for this - it's a story I heard.)

Like Carrol you don't usually fuck things up, so what else is it you might mean here?

Eric



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