This year we can commemorate the 100th anniversary of Sir Francis Galton's death, cousin of Darwin (both had a common grandfather), a man of huge professional proportions on his own. He stood up in many fields, from Statistics to Anthropology, Meteorology to Geography. He was a great explorer and traveler. However, I came to know him very little ago (oh! what an ignoramus I am) for his ideas as a Geneticist.
Following the commemoration, the UCL has published digitally (so they say, because what they have done is to photograph the original hard copy), for the first time, The College of Kantsaywhere (1910, I think).
The novel is a racist jewel, pretty much against all established human rights. The usual stuff: only the best descendant deseve be well-nourished and educated and to have off-spring on their own. I have read a few pages and I can understand those were different times and how the developments in Genetics at the time could lead preclare minds to such unhumane positions. However, I don't quite understand the neutrality in judging such piece of work at the light of the modern human rights: an umpteenth example of intellectual asymmetry.
To me, the prodigy child Galton was, the outstanding intellectual, was also a worm alike to that of Hitler, lost similarly astray with no difference. There is no evidence at all of a direct relation between both, but they were in the same chord of evil music: they share the same evil essence.
I have said it before and I say know: intelligence, natural disposition, brilliantness do not mean anything. The coldest, meanest and most terrible and cruel beings were educated and most intelligent.
On the contrary, the Jesus Christ wanted to sopport his Church on the stones disposed of by the stonemasons. Could it be a bigger contrast?
(PLEASE, LEAVE YOUR COMMENT).
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