Some races are genetically predisposed to outperform others

The argument

Traits are passed down through generations. People in the same geographical location tend to reproduce with one another, which causes groups of humans to slowly differentiate from one another. Thus, genetic differences between people are the source of inequality between races. Racial inequality exists in many societies. Differences between race in the realms of education, wealth, and health may be attributed to culture, history, and society. Yet, through the process of natural selection and genetics, innate and biological differences between populations must play a role in why groups outperform others.

Premises

Counter-arguments

Scientific advances have allowed scientists to better examine our human roots and conclude that "race" is not a viable biological variable in explaining human differences. When comparing different people's DNA, scientists have found that some people of the same "race" have less in common with each other than people of different races. This result shows that human definitions of race do not have genetic, biological bases. Rather, our definitions of race are cultural. While proponents of race as a biological reality may look to health disparities and conclude innate biological differences exist between White people and POC, the cause of disparities is the environment. In the US, Black and Brown communities are more affected by pollution. A report on data collected from 1987 to 2007 found that over half of the people who live within 1.86 miles of toxic waste facilities were people of color. Children of color living in urban areas are disproportionately more affected by lead poisoning, compared to white children. Exposure to lead and other toxic wastes affect the environment children grow up in and cause long-lasting health issues. Therefore, Environmental factors, rather than innate biological features, influence the experiences and lives of different racial communities.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] Genetic variation does not map onto racial categories in the way the premise assumes: comparisons of DNA find that people classified as the same race can have less in common genetically with one another than with people classified as different races, which means the categories do not track the accumulated differences described. [Rejecting P2] Because those categories have no genetic or biological basis on the counter's account — they are cultural classifications — natural selection cannot have produced innate differences between them, since the groups are not biological populations to begin with. [Rejecting P3] The disparities have environmental explanations the premise does not consider: the counter cites data collected from 1987 to 2007 showing that over half of those living within 1.86 miles of toxic waste facilities were people of colour, and the disproportionate exposure of children of colour in urban areas to lead poisoning, exposures that produce long-lasting health effects and shape the conditions people grow up in.

Further reading

See the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy's entry on "Race" for more information on the history of race as a concept and the contemporary arguments surrounding race (https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/race/).