Great stuff, thanks Stuart. But there's an important omission here in not acknowledging Harden’s own past uses of similar rhetoric. She's clearly on the progressive side of the political spectrum, and has not been above smears of racism or evoking eugenics when her own arbitrary lines of acceptable enquiry are crossed. Many of your criticisms of Feldman and Reskin can be applied to Harden too.
I don't disagree here! Even in The Genetic Lottery there were some points where I thought Paige's treatment of other researchers, and the characterisation of the position to her right as "eugenic", was unfair. As I said somewhere in the piece, I'd have preferred a book that more effectively separated out the science from the opinions - because the description of the science really is very good and highly useful, and it's a shame to wrap it up in political views unnecessarily.
Thanks for the reply. Before your new Substack gets swamped with replies and while I've got your attention for a brief second, let me just say that I really do think you're doing great and important work here. I wish you the very best of luck with it.
Great stuff, thanks Stuart. But there's an important omission here in not acknowledging Harden’s own past uses of similar rhetoric. She's clearly on the progressive side of the political spectrum, and has not been above smears of racism or evoking eugenics when her own arbitrary lines of acceptable enquiry are crossed. Many of your criticisms of Feldman and Reskin can be applied to Harden too.
I don't disagree here! Even in The Genetic Lottery there were some points where I thought Paige's treatment of other researchers, and the characterisation of the position to her right as "eugenic", was unfair. As I said somewhere in the piece, I'd have preferred a book that more effectively separated out the science from the opinions - because the description of the science really is very good and highly useful, and it's a shame to wrap it up in political views unnecessarily.
Thanks for the reply. Before your new Substack gets swamped with replies and while I've got your attention for a brief second, let me just say that I really do think you're doing great and important work here. I wish you the very best of luck with it.
This is very kind - thank you! Let the swamping begin...