Oxytocin, the Racist Drug?

By Anonymous Attorney

01/15/2011

I got a little worried a while back when I noticed that the always-impressive Nicholas Wade, a science writer for the New York Times, disappeared from the pages. You see, Wade seems to have a "thing" for evolutionary and genetic topics, and some of his stuff tugged in a non-SPLC/NYT editorial board direction.

My conspiracy thoughts were unfounded. Wade’s back. Someone mentioned he was on leave to write a book. Like our fearless editor, he’s British, which allows him to say slightly more dangerous things and get away with it.

A recent writing describes a study on Oxytocin’s effect on in-group/outgroup feelings.

Somehow, this question-and-quote snuck into the story:

What does it mean that a chemical basis for ethnocentrism is embedded in the human brain? “In the ancestral environment it was very important for people to detect in others whether they had a long-term commitment to the group,” Dr. De Dreu said. “Ethnocentrism is a very basic part of humans, and it’s not something we can change by education. That doesn’t mean that the negative aspects of it should be taken for granted.”
Ethnocentrism is not something we can change by education. Hmmm. We could face up to that reality and deal with it like adults, or melt into a pool of hysterics about Hitler and the Nazis. What will it be?

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