The gene drain
Sir: As against Lord Snow (Letters, 16 May), I must assert that I 'do read the current literature about biogenetics. However, I con- sider that at the present state of knowledge there can be no possible application of .bio- genetics to human affairs. History is the proper discipline for considering human problems.
I had even read Lord Snow's favourite book, The Creative Elite by N. Weyl. As Hebrew is my principal language I may con- sider myself better qualified than Lord Snow for evaluating that book. I think that for false generalisations, omissions of facts inconveni- ent to the author, and extraordinary claims, this book can only be compared with those 'scientific' works of German professors sixty to eighty years ago, which similarly `proved' the German superiority and creativity.
Since Lord Snow has reminded us of the controversies of Darwinism, I would like to Point out to him that the vulgar and false application of Darwin's theories to human SoCiety was specifically responsible for the vilest aspects of Nazism. This is a perennial danger. The most inhuman regimes consider themselves `scientific' and there is no wicked- ness which in modern times was not 'scientifically' justified. I can only refer Lord Snow to H. Trevor-Roper's articles on witch- craft and to his LSE speech (reported in the SPECTATOR) about the dangers of disregarding history (or falsifying it). In human affairs science can be only an auxiliary, never a master. I write this as a scientist myself (organic chemist). As a scien- tist I am familiar with vulgarisation and per- version of science to flatter the rich and the Powerful and to justify iniquity. A vulgarisa- tion of biogenetics is used now in the us to justify the oppression of the blacks. Consider- ing the time, place and audience to whom Lord Snow had spoken, when he made his celebrated remark. I refuse to believe that the progress of biogenetics was his primary aim.
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