A Radical Solution to the Race Problem. Issue 5 (December 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Spencer, Quayshawn
• Is Part Of: Philosophy of science. Volume 81:Issue 5(2014)
• Page Start: 1025
• Page End: 1038
• Publication Date: 2014-12
• Subjects: Science -- Periodicals; Science -- Philosophy; Science; Science -- Philosophy; Philosophie des sciences; Epistemology; Periodicals; 501
• DOI: 10.1086/677694
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1539-767X

Abstract

Abstract : It has become customary among philosophers and biologists to claim that folk racial classification has no biological basis. This paper attempts to debunk that view. In this paper I show that 'race', as used in current US race talk, picks out a biologically real entity. I do this by first showing that 'race', in this use, is not a kind term, but a proper name for a set of human population groups. Next, using recent human genetic clustering results, I show that this set of human population groups is a partition of human populations that I call 'the Blumenbach partition'.