The Emperor’s New Clothes: Biological Theories of Race at the Millennium

Joseph L. Graves Jr traces the development of biological thought about human genetic diversity. Greek philosophy, social Darwinism, New World colonialism, the eugenics movement, intelligence testing biases and racial health fallacies are just a few of the topics he addresses. Graves argues that racism has persisted in our society because adequate scientific reasoning has not entered into the equation. He cautions us to think critically about scientific findings that have historically been misused in controversies over racial differences in intelligence, criminal behaviour, disease predisposition and other traits. This book aims to demonstrate that America cannot truly address its racial problems until people understand the empirical evidence that proves separate human races do not exist. With the biological basis for race removed, racism becomes an ideology, one that can and must be erased.