Re: AUT: critiquing biological determinism/ideology of difference

[Thomas Seay <entheogens@xxxxxxxxx>]

Michael,

I find your remarks typical of a problem that I find
amongst many on the Left.  If a finding in biology
does not fit neatly into "leftist" theory, the
biologists must be "wrong" or "reactionary".  I find
this kind of good old "social" determinism as
repugnant as the good old biological determinism you
speak of.  It denies the body.

This is not to say that I support what the biologists
in question put forward.  I dont know...I haven't read
their reports.  But neither should they be dismissed
simply because what they say does not fit in
comfortably to a certain ideology.

Ilan seems to have some perspective on this and I
found interesting his suggestion about the categories
tested by "intelligence" tests.

Thomas
--- Ilan Shalif <gshalif@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Hi People.
> It does not need big scientist to observe that male
> and female
> have brains, and that these brains differ from each
> other.
>
> It does not need a great scientist to observe many
> of the differences
> between the brains of the two genders.
>
> It is obvious that a society built by males in power
> will
> be around the abilities men are better in them.
>
> In addition, the usual measures of intelligence and
> achievements
> are according to these more relevant for males.
> (Meaning they measure "male intelligence" - not any
> neutral or common
> intelligence.)
>
> In a study I did among kids of above average
> intelligence
> using the common "intelligence test", the result
> show the same:
> At every level of the intelligence scale, there were
> twice boys than girls...
>
> A more subtle analyzes showed that the structure of
> the "intelligence"
> of boys and girls of the same level differ
> significantly.
>
> I did not submitted the results to publication in
> order that they will not
> be misused by the male chauvinists.
>
> One of the main biochemical processes responsible
> for this
> difference was pointed at in a life long study of
> the subject
> of the differences between the genders by the female
> scientist
> Macoby.
>
>
> Michael Handelman wrote:
>
> > Two recent incidents have sparked my curiosity, in
> > critiquing biological determinism and the
> > postmodernist ideology of "difference":
>
> The two concepts "determinism" and "biological
> determinism"
> can be easily abused by reactionaries, but can also
> - because of
> that abuse, be regarded in a non materialistic and
> hysterical  way
> by people who object to the abuses.
> Ilan
>
>
>
>      --- from list
> aut-op-sy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ---


=====
"The tradition of all the dead generations
 weighs like a nightmare on the brain of the living"

-Karl Marx

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