Arthur Keith
Biography
Sir Arthur Keith (February 5, 1866—January 7, 1955) was a Scottish anatomist and anthropologist, and was a leading figure in the study of Human fossils.
Born in Aberdeen, he obtained a Bachelor of Medicine at the University of Aberdeen in 1888. He travelled to Siam on a gold mining trip, and upon his return to Britain he studied anatomy. In 1894, he was made a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
He studied primate skulls, and in 1897 he published An Introduction to the Study of Anthropoid Apes. His next works were Human Embryology and Morphology (1902), Ancient Types of Man (1911), The Antiquity of Man (1915), Concerning Man's Origins (1927), and A New Theory of Human Evolution, (1948).
He was knighted in 1921, and he published New Discoveries in 1931. In 1932, he helped found a research institute in Downe, Kent, where he worked until his death.
Piltdown Man Hoax
Keith was a strong proponent of the Piltdown Man, and he was suspected to be a co-conspirator of the hoax along with Charles Dawson, but was later acquitted of any involvement. Piltdown: A Scientific Forgery, written by Frank Spencer after completing the research of Ian Langham, an Australian historian of science who suspected Keith before his death in 1984, explored the link between Keith and Dawson and suggested it was Keith who prepared the fake specimens for Dawson to plant. However recent evidence has been found at The Natural History Museum, London that proves otherwise.
Writings
Concerning Man's Origins
Concerning Man's Origins, a book based on his Presidential Address at the British Association in 1927, contains a chapter entitled 'Capital as a Factor in Evolution' in which he proposes an interesting explanation for Britain's leading role in the development of Industrial Society. Essentially he argues that the cold unwelcoming climate of Britain selected those who came here for a special ability to store up food and supplies for the winter - those who didn't died out. This 'capitalism' provided a secure way of life with time to think and experiment, for a population that had been selected for inventiveness and resourcefulness. Out of this special population sprang the Industrial Revolution, centred on the colder Northern counties of England like Lancashire and Yorkshire where the high-tech developments of the time took place in spinning and weaving.
Human Embryology and Morphology (1902, 6th ed. 1949)
The Antiquity of Man (1915, 2d ed. 1925)
A New Theory of Human Evolution (1948)
In A New Theory of Human Evolution, Keith puts forward his ideas on the co-evolution of Human beings, Races, and Cultures, covering topics such as Patriotism, Resentment and Revenge, Morality, Leadership, Nationalism, and Race. His particular theory emphasises the ideas of 'In-group versus Out-group', and the 'Amity-Enmity Complex'. Often quoted, but very hard to get, this book covers, in one concise and very readable work, a whole lot of topics that are extremely relevant today, since discussion of such ideas was revived with E O Wilson's publication of 'Sociobilogy' and now thrives under the title of 'Evolutionary Psychology'.
One chapter, entitled The Jews as a Nation and as a Race, tackles what is often referred to as 'the Jewish Question', postulating that the Jews are a special case of a race that has evolved to live as the 'out-group' amongst other races, developing a special culture that enables it to survive by means of strong cultural traditions that bind the 'in-group' with unusual loyalty and defensiveness. Though such claims are controversial today, he is only saying what Shakespeare (Merchant of Venice) and others said, and he puts the facts for both sides fairly and honestly.
These last two books are very hard to obtain, and it would seem that original copies exist only in small numbers, and that modern reprints (which would seem well warranted) do not exist.
Quotes
- A man of science is responsible for the accuracy of his observations and of his inferences, not for the results which may follow therefrom.
- The reader must not think that I am an evolutionist so hardboiled that I insist on man being forever subservient to the tyranny of Nature.
- We shall never understand the ethical system taught by Jesus unless we realize that he was a Jew, not only by birth, but that he lived and taught as a Jew; the Sermon on the Mount was addressed to his distracted fellow nationals.
Links
- Quotes on Evolution and Faith
- Evolution and Ethics (full text at reactioncore.org)
- Evolution and Ethics (full text at designeduniverse.com)
Credits
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