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> Kay and Berlin took these commonalities as evidence that our conception of colors is rooted, not in language, but in our shared human biology. The legacy of
by golemotron 11y ago
> Kay and Berlin took these commonalities as evidence that our conception of colors is rooted, not in language, but in our shared human biology.
The legacy of the 20th century is the belief that we are nearly completely creatures of culture rather than biology. We're slowly learning that it isn't true.
The interesting part is why we want to believe it. When you believe that human nature is mostly culture, you feel that you can change it with social action, education, and legislation. The surprises come when people realize that change is not as easy as we would like to think.
- RodericDay 11y agoafaik, part of the "legacy of the 20th century" includes the eugenics beliefs and experiments carried out throughout the world, including the holocaust. I'd say that the actual, scientific development of "nature vs. nurture" carries on healthily in academic spheres, while online you find plenty of hardcore zealots for either camp, from otherkin to racists talking about "human biodiversity" and advocating for gender roles.
- Hermel 11y agoIt almost looks like the broad consensus went from one extreme to the other over the course of the 20th century. Maybe we are currently returning to some middle ground.
- gizmo686 11y agoThe 20th century contains thouse beliefs and experiments. The legacy of the 20th century is much more strongly defined by the Holocaust, which poisened the idea of eugentics in a way that we are only now begining to undo, and only in the limited (and somewhat controversial) practice of of pre-birth genetic testing for known diseases.