At 11:12 PM 10/9/97 -0500, Jim Choate wrote:

This chapter deals with various aspects of social issues (eg rise of national languages) and how they led to the growth of nationalism in general. Toward the end of the chapter (pp. 265 in the hardback) these idiots (don't know a better term) actualy have the audactity to claim that Stephen Jay Gould is a neo-creationist,

This appears to me to be an accurate depiction of Stephen Jay Gould's views. He claims that humans are fundamentally different from other animals in this regard, and has frequently been ridiculed on this account. I have read some of his writings, for which he was ridiculed, and the ridicule and contempt appears justified to me.

The author of this section has apparently never read a word that Gould has written. Gould is known as a leading supporter of Punctuated Equilibria and its various spawn,

I have read a fair bit of Gould. His work on the evolution of non humans is perfectly plausible though controversial. His work on humans is shear crap and is not regarded by the relevant experts in the relevant fields as legitimate science. In his field, he is a innovator. Outside his field, he is a crackpot, similar to the flat earthers and the people who claim that Socrates was black, demonstrating that even trained scientists can degenerate into nuttery when they go beyond their area of expertise. --------------------------------------------------------------------- | We have the right to defend ourselves | http://www.jim.com/jamesd/ and our property, because of the kind | of animals that we are. True law | James A. Donald derives from this right, not from the | arbitrary power of the state. | jamesd@echeque.com