Changes for page The Existence of Race

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102	102	## Controversies and Misconceptions##
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104		-Despite the scientific evidence for biological races, the topic is often contentious. One reason is that racial classification was historically misused to justify discrimination. This has led some scholars to reject the race concept entirely or say “race is only a social construct.” It is certainly true that the *folk categories* of race (how societies arbitrarily define racial groups) have some ambiguity and that no single gene distinguishes all members of one race from all of another. However, to leap from those truths to the claim that “race has no biological basis” is an overgeneralization not supported by current science./foot
	104	+Despite the scientific evidence for biological races, the topic is often contentious. One reason is that racial classification was historically misused to justify discrimination. This has led some scholars to reject the race concept entirely or say “race is only a social construct.” It is certainly true that the *folk categories* of race (how societies arbitrarily define racial groups) have some ambiguity and that no single gene distinguishes all members of one race from all of another. However, to leap from those truths to the claim that “race has no biological basis” is an overgeneralization not supported by current science.{{footnote}} https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2022/07/19/once-again-are-races-social-constructs-without-scientific-or-biological-meaning/#:~:text=This%20in%20turn%20means%20that,discussed%20in%20an%20earlier%20post{{/footnote}} {{footnote}} https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2022/07/19/once-again-are-races-social-constructs-without-scientific-or-biological-meaning/#:~:text=The%20meaning%20of%20the%20biological,evolutionary%20origin%20of%20group%20members{{/footnote}}
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106		-Modern researchers advocating a biological understanding of race do not claim that races are *totally separate or discrete*. Instead, they recognize that human variation is clinal and statistical – meaning traits change gradually over geography and that any racial boundaries will be blurred at the edges. But *fuzzy boundaries do not erase the existence of clusters*. As evolutionary biologist Jerry Coyne explains, the existence of intermediate cases or the arbitrariness of drawing lines does not negate the reality that genetic ancestry clusters exist and matter. We can analogize to colors of the rainbow: there is no sharp boundary between, say, orange and yellow, yet orange and yellow are real groupings on the light spectrum. Similarly, human groups transition gradually, yet Africans, Europeans, East Asians, etc., are real genetic clusters at the continental scale.
	106	+Modern researchers advocating a biological understanding of race do not claim that races are *totally separate or discrete*. Instead, they recognize that human variation is clinal and statistical – meaning traits change gradually over geography and that any racial boundaries will be blurred at the edges. But *fuzzy boundaries do not erase the existence of clusters*. As evolutionary biologist Jerry Coyne explains, the existence of intermediate cases or the arbitrariness of drawing lines does not negate the reality that genetic ancestry clusters exist and matter.{{footnote}} https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2022/07/19/once-again-are-races-social-constructs-without-scientific-or-biological-meaning/#:~:text=The%20meaning%20of%20the%20biological,evolutionary%20origin%20of%20group%20members{{/footnote}} {{footnote}} https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2022/07/19/once-again-are-races-social-constructs-without-scientific-or-biological-meaning/#:~:text=,And%20Me%20stay%20in%20business{{/footnote}} We can analogize to colors of the rainbow: there is no sharp boundary between, say, orange and yellow, yet orange and yellow are real groupings on the light spectrum. Similarly, human groups transition gradually, yet Africans, Europeans, East Asians, etc., are real genetic clusters at the continental scale.{{footnote}} https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2022/07/19/once-again-are-races-social-constructs-without-scientific-or-biological-meaning/#:~:text=,And%20Me%20stay%20in%20business{{/footnote}}
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108		-Another common misconception comes from quoting Lewontin’s 85% figure (within-race variation) to say “there are more differences within races than between them.” This argument, as discussed, is fallacious when used to dismiss race. Yes, any two random humans share the vast majority (\99.9%) of their DNA, and any two people of the same race are not genetically identical either. But the pattern of that 0.1% difference is highly structured by ancestry. Numerous loci considered together provide enough information to distinguish populations with great reliability. To put it another way, the *overall genomic similarity* between any two humans is high, yet the *specific ways* in which they differ can tell us their ancestral background. This is why genomic analysis can determine a person’s continent-of-origin, or even more fine-grained ethnicity, from a DNA sample – something impossible if race were solely a social fiction.
	108	+Another common misconception comes from quoting Lewontin’s 85% figure (within-race variation) to say “there are more differences within races than between them.” This argument, as discussed, is fallacious when used to dismiss race.{{footnote}} https://someofmybestfriendsarewhite.tumblr.com/post/80846397928/race-is-biologically-non-existent-im-not-making#:~:text=An%20argument%20is%20that%20there,it%20is%20fallacious%20because%20it{{/footnote}} Yes, any two random humans share the vast majority (\99.9%) of their DNA, and any two people of the same race are not genetically identical either. But the pattern of that 0.1% difference is highly structured by ancestry. Numerous loci considered together provide enough information to distinguish populations with great reliability.{{footnote}}https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2022/07/19/once-again-are-races-social-constructs-without-scientific-or-biological-meaning/#:~:text=authors%20note%3A{{/footnote}} To put it another way, the *overall genomic similarity* between any two humans is high, yet the *specific ways* in which they differ can tell us their ancestral background. This is why genomic analysis can determine a person’s continent-of-origin, or even more fine-grained ethnicity, from a DNA sample – something impossible if race were solely a social fiction.
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110		-Some critics argue that human groups haven’t been isolated long enough to speciate or form true subspecies. It’s true humans only began dispersing out of Africa \70k years ago, which is recent in evolutionary terms. But even in that time, significant differentiation has occurred. In fact, researchers have pointed out that *numerous other mammal species* have subspecies that diverged around the same time frame as human races did. For example, certain baboon species or leopard subspecies separated from each other only tens of thousands of years ago and are recognized as distinct. The relatively short timeline does not preclude meaningful evolutionary change, especially under strong selective pressures (like climate, disease, diet). Human evolution didn’t “stop” in the Paleolithic; it continued in varying directions on each continent. As a result, the concept of human races remains biologically valid in describing that differentiation.
	110	+Some critics argue that human groups haven’t been isolated long enough to speciate or form true subspecies. It’s true humans only began dispersing out of Africa \70k years ago, which is recent in evolutionary terms. But even in that time, significant differentiation has occurred. In fact, researchers have pointed out that *numerous other mammal species* have subspecies that diverged around the same time frame as human races did.{{footnote}} https://someofmybestfriendsarewhite.tumblr.com/post/80846397928/race-is-biologically-non-existent-im-not-making#:~:text=Another%20false%20argument%20is%20that,gov%2Fpmc%2Farticles%2FPMC1689361{{/footnote}} For example, certain baboon species or leopard subspecies separated from each other only tens of thousands of years ago and are recognized as distinct. The relatively short timeline does not preclude meaningful evolutionary change, especially under strong selective pressures (like climate, disease, diet). Human evolution didn’t “stop” in the Paleolithic; it continued in varying directions on each continent. As a result, the concept of human races remains biologically valid in describing that differentiation.
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112		-It’s also worth noting that biological race ≠ racist ideology. Acknowledging biological races does *not* imply any rank or inherent superiority/inferiority; it simply recognizes human adaptive diversity. Many scholars prefer the term “population” or “ancestry group” to avoid the political baggage of “race,” but the underlying idea is the same. Philosopher Neven Sesardić has argued that the biological concept of race (as used by scientists like Dobzhansky mid-20th century) is still sound and has been unfairly misrepresented by social constructionists. Sesardić showed that the oft-cited conceptual criticisms (e.g. “races aren’t discrete,” “no trait is unique to a race”) do not actually invalidate the biological race concept properly understood. In fact, when one looks at what current genetic research says, it vindicates the notion that self-identified race corresponds to real patterns of genetic ancestry and variation, even though race has social dimensions too.
	112	+It’s also worth noting that biological race ≠ racist ideology. Acknowledging biological races does *not* imply any rank or inherent superiority/inferiority; it simply recognizes human adaptive diversity. Many scholars prefer the term “population” or “ancestry group” to avoid the political baggage of “race,” but the underlying idea is the same. Philosopher Neven Sesardić has argued that the biological concept of race (as used by scientists like Dobzhansky mid-20th century) is still sound and has been unfairly misrepresented by social constructionists.{{footnote}} https://someofmybestfriendsarewhite.tumblr.com/post/80846397928/race-is-biologically-non-existent-im-not-making#:~:text=,some%20leading%20contemporary%20scholars%20who{{/footnote}} Sesardić showed that the oft-cited conceptual criticisms (e.g. “races aren’t discrete,” “no trait is unique to a race”) do not actually invalidate the biological race concept properly understood.{{footnote}} https://someofmybestfriendsarewhite.tumblr.com/post/80846397928/race-is-biologically-non-existent-im-not-making#:~:text=,some%20leading%20contemporary%20scholars%20who{{/footnote}} In fact, when one looks at what current genetic research says, it vindicates the notion that self-identified race corresponds to real patterns of genetic ancestry and variation, even though race has social dimensions too.{{footnote}} https://someofmybestfriendsarewhite.tumblr.com/post/80846397928/race-is-biologically-non-existent-im-not-making#:~:text=,some%20leading%20contemporary%20scholars%20who{{/footnote}} {{footnote}} https://whyevolutionistrue.com/2022/07/19/once-again-are-races-social-constructs-without-scientific-or-biological-meaning/#:~:text=This%20in%20turn%20means%20that,discussed%20in%20an%20earlier%20post{{/footnote}}
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114	114	## Conclusion##
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116	116	In conclusion, \*\*race exists in the human species as a biological reality, albeit a complex and nuanced one. Humans are a genetically and phenotypically diverse species, and this diversity is not randomly distributed but rather clustered by lineage and geography. Major racial groups (whether we call them races, subspecies, or populations) exhibit significant differences in allele frequencies and in numerous anatomical and physiological traits – from blood antigens and disease susceptibilities to growth patterns, body proportions, and metabolic adaptations. These differences largely reflect thousands of years of evolutionary adaptation to different environments and genetic drift in separated gene pools.
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118		-Understanding the biological reality of race has important practical benefits. In medicine, it can literally save lives: being aware of racial differences in disease risk or drug response can improve diagnosis and treatment. For example, tailoring health screening (such as sickle-cell trait screening for African-descended populations) or ensuring diverse blood donations are direct applications. In anthropology and human history, recognizing races (in the sense of lineage clusters) is essential for reconstructing human migratory events and evolutionary history. It provides an accurate picture of how different human groups emerged and interacted over time.
	118	+Understanding the biological reality of race has important practical benefits. In medicine, it can literally save lives: being aware of racial differences in disease risk or drug response can improve diagnosis and treatment.{{footnote}} https://www.researchgate.net/publication/26756268_Is_Homo_sapiens_polytypic_Human_taxonomic_diversity_and_its_implications#:~:text=Finally%20the%20implications%20of%20this,save%20lives%20in%20the%20future{{/footnote}} For example, tailoring health screening (such as sickle-cell trait screening for African-descended populations){{footnote}} https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-types/diversity/african-american-blood-donors.html#:~:text=More%20than%20100%2C000%20individuals%20in,blood%20transfusions%20throughout%20their%20lifetime{{/footnote}} or ensuring diverse blood donations{{footnote}} https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/blood-types/diversity/african-american-blood-donors.html#:~:text=More%20than%20100%2C000%20individuals%20in,blood%20transfusions%20throughout%20their%20lifetime{{/footnote}} are direct applications. In anthropology and human history, recognizing races (in the sense of lineage clusters) is essential for reconstructing human migratory events and evolutionary history.{{footnote}} https://www.researchgate.net/publication/26756268_Is_Homo_sapiens_polytypic_Human_taxonomic_diversity_and_its_implications#:~:text=indicating%20the%20existence%20of%20a,and%20treatment%20responsiveness%20will%20save{{/footnote}} It provides an accurate picture of how different human groups emerged and interacted over time./foot
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120	120	None of this is to deny the *social* reality of race – of course, cultural notions of race have changed and often been misused. But biologically, race is not a myth. As one geneticist wrote, “the genome challenges the social construction of race” by showing that genetic clusters consistent with racial classifications do indeed exist. In the end, it’s more scientifically sound and beneficial to appreciate human racial diversity for what it is – an integral part of our species’ natural heritage. Embracing this understanding, while rejecting racist prejudices, leads to a more honest and useful discourse. The biological concept of race, properly defined and contextualized, remains a robust framework in human biology and medicine, supported by countless empirical findings. Far from being “disproven,” the existence of human races is continually reinforced by modern research across genetics, anthropology, and epidemiology.
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