Re: OT: [Let_It_Be_Forever_Islam] THE WORLD OF THE JINN

Quoting John Cowan <cowan@...>:

> Paul Bennett scripsit:
>
> > OTOH, there are several very real basises(?) for the use of simple
> > terms for sub-species stocks with the human race. There is seldom a
> > variable continuum from one race to the other (absent interracial
> > breeding) in terms of pure genetics
>
> Actually, the variability between the supposed races, or even ethnic
> groups, is far less than the variability within a single group.
> If all of humanity were destroyed except the Xhosa of South Africa,
> 80% of human genetic diversity would be preserved.
I guess that the best line of defense for the applicabiltiy of racial terms
like "Caucasoid" and so on would adopt a phenotypical rather than genotypical
stance.

But whether the distinctions described by these terms are real or not has
little to do with whether these terms are "scientific" or not, has it? I
wouldn't expect anyone to deny that "luminoferous aether" is a scientifc term
just because pretty much no-one believe in its existence any more.

                                                         Andreas