After Lewontin: Dr. Pangloss and His Imagined Community
Authors : Damla Karagöl
Pages : 139-152
Doi:10.26650/IAR2022-1191168
View : 7 | Download : 4
Publication Date : 2022-12-29
Article Type : Other
Abstract :Richard Lewontin’s two influential papers "The Apportionment of Human Diversity” (1971) and "The Spandrels of San Marco and the Panglosissan Paradigm: A Critique of the Adaptationist Programme” (1979) co-authored with Stephen Jay Gould have a profound effect on post-Darwinian evolutionary biology discourse. He is celebrated for causing a major paradigm shift in scientific thought on race by demonstrating that there was more variance within human populations than between in his 1971 paper and shares the joy with Gould of triggering another one by laying the adaptationist view on the table in their 1979 paper. Lewontin’s contributions to the discussions on the relationship between race and genetics and adaptationist approach has also a tremendous political impact, which is compatible with his ideals as a "good scientist” since his notion of science implicates producing politically useful knowledge. This paper aims to evaluate the two papers in extenso, in terms of their scientific reliability and their relationship with the political discussions back in their day. It also aims to discuss the concepts introduced by Lewontin such as "good science” and "politically responsible scientist”.Keywords : Lewontin, Apportionment, Adaptationism, Adaptationism, Apportionment, Lewontin