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| title | chunk | source | category | tags | date_saved | instance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthur Keith | 2/3 | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Keith | reference | science, encyclopedia | 2026-05-05T17:02:56.552176+00:00 | kb-cron |
== Piltdown Man hoax == Keith was a strong proponent of the Piltdown Man. Piltdown: A Scientific Forgery, written by the anthropologist Frank Spencer after completing the research of Ian Langham (an Australian historian of science who suspected Keith, and died in 1984), explored the link between Keith and Charles Dawson and suggested it was Keith who prepared the fake specimens for Dawson to plant. Phillip Tobias details the history of the investigation of the hoax, dismissing other theories, and listing inconsistencies in Keith's statements and actions. While Martin Hinton was also suspected more recent evidence and scholarly consensus now point to Charles Dawson as having likely perpetrated the hoax on his own.
== Writings ==
=== A Manual of Practical Anatomy (1901) === with Alfred William Hughes
=== Human Embryology and Morphology (1902, 6th ed. 1949) ===
=== The Antiquity of Man (1915, 2d ed. 1925) ===
=== Concerning Man's Origins (1927) === 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 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. This is a rare book today, which does not appear to be available as a reprint.
=== The Place of Prejudice in Modern Civilisation (1931) === An address given to Students at Aberdeen University. Keith's concluding sentences in this book sums up his thesis: "Even in the modern world we must listen to the voice of Nature. Under the control of reason, prejudice has to be given a place in the regulation of human affairs." (p. 54) Keith remarks that the 18th century common sense realist philosopher Thomas Reid reached the same conclusion. Keith also cites Adam Smith, the theoretical father of capitalism, who in his The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) regarded prejudices as part of human nature, to both preserve human life and for the welfare of the common good. Keith concludes that the idea that prejudices "are not artificially acquired, but have been grafted deeply into our natures for particular purposes" is not merely a discovery of Darwinism. Indeed, from a Christian perspective, these arational feelings must serve some higher survival purpose and are so largely present in life, that they all can't be dismissed as "sin."
=== 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." 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. Such claims are very controversial today. Physical copies of the book are difficult to obtain as it would seem that original copies exist only in small numbers, and that modern reprints do not exist. However, an online reprint of the book is available (see link below).
=== An Autobiography (1950) === Keith wrote his memoir when he was 84, because "a short time hence someone will have to write my obituary notice, so that what I set down now may then prove of service." He recounts how he came to pursue his scientific work, and reports on important people whom he met along the way—William Boyd Dawkins, Conan Doyle, Charles Sherrington and others. Nonetheless, the lengthy volume was deemed "completely unexciting. Events of sentimental interest and happenings of pure routine get almost equal emphasis."
=== Darwin Revalued (1955) === Keith went to live in a house very close to that which Darwin had occupied in Downe, Kent, in the latter years of his life, and took a great interest in trying to understand more about Charles Darwin. In this book, written just before he died, Keith gives a lot of detail about Darwin's family life, as well as his career.
== Prediction of the future == In September 1931, Keith and other prominent individuals of the time were invited by The New York Times to make a prediction concerning the world in eighty years time in the future, in 2011, to celebrate the paper's eightieth anniversary since its establishment in 1851. Keith's prediction warned against overspecialization:
== Quotations ==