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Jewish Ancestry

Boas was of Jewish ancestry, regardless of his religious beliefs. This is a fact, and a notable one. Please explain why it should be censored. Oo Yun (talk) 15:56, 10 November 2010 (UTC)

How is it notable? He identified as German, not Jewish. We've discussed this before. . Dougweller (talk) 16:15, 10 November 2010 (UTC)

All humkan beings are of African ancestrs. We do not add that. The issue here is WP:NOR. Which historian or biographer who is a specialist on Boas or anthropology has argued that his Jewish ancestry is relevant, and why is it relevant? I know of no credible or significant study, and those are the views we are required to put in ... not some editor's opinion. Slrubenstein | Talk 16:43, 10 November 2010 (UTC)

It is also already mentioned in the early life section so it is not as if it is being left out - its just a question of how much weight it should be given. Standard practice is to only mention jewish heritage in the lead if the subject selfidentifies as jewish. There is no particular jewish interests or themes that recur in Boas' work or life so I'd argue that there is no reason to deviate from standrd practice here. ·Maunus·ƛ· 17:11, 10 November 2010 (UTC)

RE: All humkan beings are of African ancestrs. We do not add that.

Yeah, cos it's not notable. What a stupid thing to say. Check the links, they all discuss Boas' Jewishness, it's not disputed. Just cos he 'kept it quiet' is of no bearing. It's a fact, and an interesting one. I'm sure you know the conspiracy theories: "Jews want to pretend we're all equal to trash their rivals while they remain pure", I don't know about that, but we present the facts, and Boas' Jewish German American ancestry is spot on accurate. Sorry if you're uncomfortable with that fact, but it's a fact and needs to be reported. Oo Yun (talk) 20:09, 10 November 2010 (UTC)

As I said it is reported, the section on early life mentions his family's Jewishness. That is about as important that fact is. No need to put it in the lead.·Maunus·ƛ· 22:34, 10 November 2010 (UTC)

Just a coincidence that Oo Yun's first edit was a criticism of Boas, I'm sure. Dougweller (talk) 06:00, 11 November 2010 (UTC)

You know, I'm seeing the same people in the history of this page arguing that this fact is "unimportant". Ironically, the fact that Franz Boas' ancestry is discussed more than the ancestry of almost any other scientist, including here, demonstrate the transparent falsity of your opinion. Oo Yun (talk) 10:06, 11 November 2010 (UTC)

I don't know where you hang out where Boas' ancestry is a hot topic - I've been reading about Boas for years now and it's never come up once.·Maunus·ƛ· 11:36, 11 November 2010 (UTC)

I find that rather hard to believe. Anyway, like I said, the fact that it is regularly discussed here is good enough reason to include it. Why do you have a problem with that? Oo Yun (talk) 12:04, 11 November 2010 (UTC)

It IS included. I has not been censored. Did you even read the article? Slrubenstein | Talk 13:12, 11 November 2010 (UTC)

I mean changing "German American", which could be misleading, to "Jewish German American", which is absolutely precise. Why do you have a problem with this? Oo Yun (talk) 13:20, 11 November 2010 (UTC)

Answer the question. You wrote that his Jewish ancestry should be included in the article. I said that it is included in the article. Have you read the article? You say the links all discuss his Jewishness. Have you read all the links? All the works cited? I have. The ones that discuss his "Jewishness" support that he did not identify himself as Jewish. He identified himself as German and then American. Even his opponents in the US identified him as German. Slrubenstein | Talk 15:11, 11 November 2010 (UTC)

Looking again, I'm unhappy about 'kept it quiet'. Oo Yun, why are you so keen about this? Why not go off an edit some other articles? Dougweller (talk) 18:19, 11 November 2010 (UTC)

Answer the question. Why is presenting a notable fact a problem here? Boas was of Jewish ancestry. Right now it says German, which could be misleading. Jewish German is accurate. Why do you have a problem with presenting a fact? Who cares if Boas said he was a flamingo. 86.177.2.57 (talk) 22:25, 11 November 2010 (UTC)

Please understand: It is presented. And please also understand that mentioning it in the lead is not standard practice, just like we don't identify Bill Cosby as an "African-American comedian". We define people by natioanality and only by ethnicity in so far as it is deemed relevant only if the subject itself found it important.·Maunus·ƛ· 23:09, 11 November 2010 (UTC)

Well, it's obvious that Bill Cosby has African ancestry. I doubt your claim that the "subject itself" must find it important, and ask you to reference the policy. If it is discussed in reliable secondary sources it's enough reason to mention it. The sources referenced in "Boas, anthropology, and Jewish identity" contain discussion of the fact and it's alleged importance. Since this is an encyclopedia which presents the facts, in this case the ethnicity is an important issue, and should be mentioned for clarity, so that people who go to the page specifically for confirmation of this fact will be able to find the correct information, rather than something which is potentially misleading. I find it strange that you have a problem with mentioning Boas' Jewish ancestry, isn't it something to be proud of? Oo Yun (talk) 12:10, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

Why? And why should it matter here? Our purpose is to inform and to describe, not to classify according to somewhat subjective constructs sometimes inspired - as you explicitly avow - by ethnic pride. (There is one subjectivity that does matter here, namely, Boas's, not mine or yours.) Feketekave (talk) 14:17, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

(edit conflict)::::::The article mentions his Jewish ancestry, Oo Yun is suggesting, falsely, that it doesn't. It couldn't be clearer about his ancestry as it says his parents were Jewish. So that can't be an issue and to try to suggest that the article doesn't mention this is what is misleading. The idea that a Jewish/Christian/Hindu/Buddhist/whatever ancestry (what's the difference?) is something to be proud of is irrelevant and not for us to decide in any case. The fact that this is an encyclopedia does not make ethnicity an important issue. Dougweller (talk) 14:21, 12 November 2010 (UTC) No. I'll say it again: I want to change "German American" to "Jewish German American". Read that. Read it again. Got it? I also explained why it's important in this case. Oo Yun (talk) 17:47, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

I've been following this exchange for some time now. But now it's gotten to the point of 'ridiculous' already. Mind you: not "German Jewish American," but on-your-face "Jewish German American." No less! Almost funny, if not really ridiculous. Let me cast a vote here, before this keeps going to far: "German American" on the lead, with the early life fact that he came from Jewish ancestry is more than enough for Misplaced Pages standards. And for the 'truth' also, for that matter. I think Boas must be turning in his grave, really... By the way, the same "Jewish nationalistic" (probably also "zionistic") discussion crops up every once in a while on the page of the greatest of Boaz's disciples (Claude Lévi-Strauss), and also there Misplaced Pages Admins should not relent to this quite aggressive Jewish nationalistic onslaught. warshy 18:41, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

I was looking again at the Lévi-Strauss's article, the section on his early life, and it really needs some beefing up on his Jewish ancestry and origins. Unlike here, where the fact is well established and discussed, even in some interesting cultural/historical detail such as the reference to Enlightenment values and 19th century Jewish assimilation in Germany, there there is only one quite casual, passing reference to his maternal grandfather being the rabbi of the Synagogue of Versailles during World War I... warshy 19:39, 13 November 2010 (UTC)

I'm not sure from which side is being pushed here - but pushing is going on that is for sure.·Maunus·ƛ· 19:02, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

I think Warshy has it a little backwards. Boas wanted to be seen as non-Jewish, but in fact, he was of Jewish ancestry. It is a little strange the denial of ancestry which is aggressively pushed by Jews, simultaeneous with the "Zionist" Jew/nonJew obsession. But we report the facts, and Boas' Jewish ancestry is beyond question. Oo Yun (talk) 20:28, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

Well, there we go - "aggressively pushed by Jews." I thought we'd get here sometime. I really do suggest you go find articles to edit which have nothing to do with Jews or Jewishness. Dougweller (talk) 21:36, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

I suggest you stop talking to me. Oo Yun (talk) 21:44, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

And who is denying and/or obscuring in any way or manner, pray tell, his undeniable Jewish ancestry? It is plain and clear for anyone that bothers to read the article. I, from here on, will just vote to block you out of editing this page... warshy 21:11, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

Wow, like anyone gives a shit. Oo Yun (talk) 21:17, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

Boas on Jewishness

Boas did not identify as Jewish because he believed the concept of a Jewish "race" to be false and the concept of a Jewish culture different from the German one to be equally false. He argued that by assimilating genetically and culturally to other groups the concept of a separate Jewishness had become meaningless. He argued in favour of assimilation of minorities to majority groups - both through genetic miscegenation and cultural assimilation. (it is paradoxical that he sees racism as a problem caused by the existence of races instead of being created by culturally defined attitudes to races). This shows rather well that defining him as Jewish would be reifying a category that he himself was working to invalidate. ·Maunus·ƛ· 15:53, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

• "The Negro problem will not disappear in America untill the negreo blood has been so diluted that it will not be recognized, just as Anti-Semitism will not disappear untill the last vestige of the Jew as Jew has dissappeared" (Franz Boas 1921, "the problem of the American Negro" Yale Review

(Here it is clear that He considers himself to be fully assimilated to German culture and that he sees those Jews who continues cultural practices associated with Jewishness are causing Anti-Semitism - its weird, I know)

• "the present policies of the German government are based on the assumption that an 'Aryan' has certan biologically determined qualities that are entirely foreign to every Non-Aryan ... these beliefs are based on a complete misunderstanding of what constitutes a race and on the way in which we arrive at the concept of a racial type. ... Just as Germanized Slavs and French have become German in their culture, as the Frenchified Germans have become French ...so have the German Jews become German" (Franz Boas 1934, "Aryans and Non-Aryans")

(Here it becomes further clear that he doesn't believe that Jews are a race in a biological sense and that as soon as they cease with jewish cultural practices (as his family had done) they are no longer Jewish in any meaningful sense.)·Maunus·ƛ· 15:53, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

But by the same logic we cannot refer to him as German either. Oo Yun (talk) 16:49, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

That is false. He does no where argue that German isn't a valid category ·Maunus·ƛ· 17:04, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

No. You're confusing Boas' opinion with mainstream opinion, which is that German and Jewish are both ancestral categories. Oo Yun (talk) 17:13, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

German is a nationality not an ancestral category. You are confusing your own opinion with mainstream opinion.·Maunus·ƛ· 18:15, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

It's both. This is simple, and it's the same point you are skirting and failing to address. If we can refer to someone as "German American" we can also refer to them as "Jewish German American". You have presented nothing to contradict this. Boas' statement above is regarding culture while we are discussing ancestry. If you are claiming that "Jewish ancestry" is an invalid category I can proveide many sources to the contrary. Is that the case? Oo Yun (talk) 18:26, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

Also I think you may be confusing Boas' somewhat extremist and vague opinion with the normal concept of ancestry, which is what we use to write[REDACTED] articles, even the Boas one. Oo Yun (talk) 16:55, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

I know of no such normal concept of ancestry. And Boas opinion is neither extremist or weak - it has been the foundation for the views of race and ethnicity in social science for the past 70 years. ·Maunus·ƛ· 17:04, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

It is clear that Oo Yun is just a garden-variety troll and can safely be ignored now. This page is to discuss improvements to the article, not for soap-boxing by POV-pushers. Slrubenstein | Talk 22:43, 12 November 2010 (UTC)

This is just hypocrisy. How dare you insult me in this manner. Also I think you have a conflict of interest on this issue. Oo Yun (talk) 08:41, 13 November 2010 (UTC)

Manus' argument re: Boas own thoughts about Jewishness has power, but Misplaced Pages-policy may still differ from Boas' opinions on the matter. And I find Slrubenstein's dressing down of Oo Yun not helpful. (There are already enough people on[REDACTED] who think they own the place).--Radh (talk) 09:56, 13 November 2010 (UTC)

And I quote: "Wow, like anyone gives a shit. Oo Yun (talk) 21:17, 12 November 2010 (UTC)" - and this is not a sign of being a troll? Plus the fact that he has not contributed to any other articles? Slrubenstein | Talk 12:18, 13 November 2010 (UTC)

(edit conflict)::(reply to Oo Yon) Let me see. I'll bet you think someone who has a Jewish name automatically has a conflict of interest in editing anything Jewish. Luckily that's not the way Misplaced Pages treats this situation. We don't even say anti-Semites can't edit Jewish articles. What's hypocritical is someone who writes in an edit summary "Nah, you're liars. Better to die than contribute to short term gangsterism." getting upset about being insulted. Dougweller (talk)

No. But when someone who has a Jewish name argues vehemently to supress factual and notable information which could reflect badly on Jews, and descends to egregious personal attacks, my "conflict of interest" bell starts ringing. Oo Yun (talk) 11:01, 13 November 2010 (UTC)

'Suppression' is a loaded word which isn't appropriate. 'Notable' is something that hasn't been shown which is part of the problem, what makes his religion or whatever notable? The most egregious personal attacks have been yours, and I'm happy to argue vehemently against you also. Do I have a conflict of interest? What does 'reflect badly on Jews' mean? Dougweller (talk) 11:14, 13 November 2010 (UTC)

Boas had close connection to New York Jewish-German society (Warburgs) etc., many of his closest students came from Jewish families. He was a fighter against antisemitism and racism. But why this should reflect badly on him obviously is another question.--Radh (talk) 12:03, 13 November 2010 (UTC)

Boas had close connections to New York Gentile society, employed by the American Museum of Natural History (supported by some of New York's wealthiest Gentiles) and Columbia University (run by Gentiles). Some of his closest, and certainly his most famous, students - Alfred Kroeber, Ruth Benedict, and Margaret Mead - were Gentiles. His students included Gentile African-Americans and a Native American (so, do we now identify him as a black Indian?). He was a fighter against all forms of racism, this would naturally include anti-Semitism. The fact remains that he was not Jewish. His approach to anthropology comes almost entirely from two German Gentiles anthropologists, Alexander von Humboldt and Adolf Bastien (Boas also quoted Goethe, another Gentile German, as an inspiration). But the really salient fact, as far as the lead of the article goes, is that during his lifetime he was a citizen of two states: Germany and the United States. He was educated entirely in Germany, and spent almost his entire professional life in the United States. These are compelling reasons for identifying him in the lead as German and American. This page is to discuss improvements to the article and that requires people to have done research and not to be pushing their own POV. POV pushers who endlessley repeat that we must include in the article information that ... that ... that ... well, that is already in the article have no place here. Slrubenstein | Talk 12:16, 13 November 2010 (UTC)

Let's put the troll issue aside. And also Mr. David Duke's opinions on this (www). But: Franz Uri Boas certainly was Jewish - the question remains, if it should be stated in the first sentence of the article.

I think it is remarkable that Durkheim, Mauss, Sapir, Levi-Strauss were Jews. Sapir and his pupil Mandelbaum seem to have debated a specific "Hang" of Jews for anthropology (blog myjewishlearning.com)

In an open letter 1933 he stated: "Ich bin jüdischer Abstammung, aber im Fühlen und Denken bin ich Deutscher. And he closes: "...wenn Unfläterei (verbal injuries), Gemeinheit (meanness), Unduldsamkeit (intolerance), Ungerechtigkeit (unjustice), Lüge (the lie) heutzutage als deutsch angesehen werden, wer mag dann noch ein Deutscher sein" (german WP article Boas).

Friends and graduate students of Boas include Berthold Laufer, Leo J. Frachtenberg, Alexander Goldenweiser, Irving Goldman, Melville Jean Herskovits, Melville Jacobs, Otto Klineberg, Alexander Lesser, Robert Lowie, Ashley Montagu, Paul Radin, Edward Sapir, Ruth Bunzel, Esther Schiff Goldfrank, Ruth Schlossberg Landes, Rhoda Metraux, Gene Weltfish. He had three or four Native American students and also three or four Afro-American students (obviously not his fault that it were so few). I have never said or implied that he had no Gentile teachers, friends, connections or pupils: Kroeber, Mead...around 2/3 of his phD-students were Gentiles).

See also: Leonard B. Glick: Types Distinct from Our Own: Franz Boas on Jewish Identity and Assimilation (pdf): --Radh (talk) 15:06, 13 November 2010 (UTC)

Just in case anyone can't read that, the crucial bit is "I'm Jewish, but in feeling and thinking I am a German.". And the article lead reads: "Franz Boas (* July 9 1858 in Minden, † December 21 1942 in New York) was a German-born American geographer, anthropologist and ethnologist.", with the next section starting "Franz Boas was born into a Jewish-German family, ". Which is fine, and similar to our article so far as this discussion goes. Dougweller (talk) 15:31, 13 November 2010 (UTC)

That is not a quite accurate translation Doug - he says "I am of Jewish descent, but I am German in thought and feeling"·Maunus·ƛ· 20:02, 13 November 2010 (UTC)

Ouch, how did I leave out 'Abstammung'? Absolutely. Dougweller (talk) 21:33, 13 November 2010 (UTC)

Compare the case of Aby Warburg: He was the first of the family (as far as I know) to marry outside the faith, his parents, like Boas grandparents, were still very observant Jews. He was from his youth anti-Orthodox and did not observe the Jewish food tabus etc. (if he could get away with it). He converted to Roman Catholicism late in life. But he is nowhere talked of as a famous Catholic art historian.--Radh (talk) 12:28, 14 November 2010 (UTC)

Radh, how are you calculating 2/3 gentiles? Also I think this is a clear demonstration of the high representation of Jews in Boas' clique. A little strange for someone who considers themself German. Also we have it from his own pen that he is of Jewish descent. I think that counts as notability and verifiability. Oo Yun (talk) 10:20, 14 November 2010 (UTC) This template must be substituted.

edit-conflict: don't want to write down the names again, but among his close students were about 20 Jews and about 46 Gentiles (including 4 Native Americans). For my list of Boas pupils see: de:Benutzer:Radh/Anthropologen, Boas Schüler und Mitarbeiter.--Radh (talk) 12:09, 14 November 2010 (UTC)

No one is questioning that he is of Jewish descent and the article makes that crystal clear. You still haven't explained what makes this notable. And why the loaded words such as 'clique'? Dougweller (talk) 12:06, 14 November 2010 (UTC)

(outdent)This discussion needs to stop. If he had taught only Rabbi's or Klansmen that would have made him neither a Rabbi or a Klansman. "American" is not an ethnically defined identity - neither is "German" -you can be fully German or American no matter where in the world your parent were born and no matter what religion they practiced. Jewish is either an ethnic or a religious identity. It is neither wikipedia's or current German or American practice to define Jewishness by the amount of "Jewish blood" one has - that practice went out of fashion around 1945. Current practice for defining someone as being Jewish requires them to identify as being part of a Jewish ethnic or religious group. Boas didn't. We don't categorize people into ethnic groups where they don't feel they belong. Period. Anything beyond this is simply feeding the troll. ·Maunus·ƛ· 13:08, 14 November 2010 (UTC)

I am all for a stop to this debate. But: your ideas about being German regardless of German parents etc. simply did not apply in Boas' time, not until recently in fact.--Radh (talk) 14:42, 14 November 2010 (UTC)

Oo Yun turns out to be just a sock puppet

See Misplaced Pages:Sockpuppet investigations/Mikemikev - I was pretty convinced this was the case but didn't know who it could be. His first edit showed that he wasn't new. And his bigotry made me wonder if he was actually a blocked or banned user. Mikemikev will almost certainly be back. Dougweller (talk) 16:05, 14 November 2010 (UTC)

He also posted here in early August as Finkelkraut, trying to raise the same issue. I've deleted the section, banned means banned. I'll leave the above as so many others have participated, but if it comes up again I'll probably not AGF (WP:AGF doesn't require us to be stupid or naive). Dougweller (talk) 20:30, 14 November 2010 (UTC)

Madison Grant

User:WeijiBaikeBianji added a further reading section with a single book: "Defending the Master Race: Conservation, Eugenics, and the Legacy of Madison Grant" by J.P. Spiro. I removed this because the book is only tangentially related to Boas Biography and treats another topic and I think that a further reading section should focus on books that treat it directly or it will quickly grow unwieldy - a lot has been written about Boas. However I think that it would be useful to integrate the book into the article by writing a section about the Grant - Boas rivalry and Boas' fight against eugenics. ·Maunus·ƛ· 15:31, 26 November 2010 (UTC)

recent revert

Two editors recently made five edits to the article. I reverted some, and kept others. Maunus asks why. Fair enough. First, I think the adding the phrase "but somewhat simplistic" is editorializing - that it is simplistic is an opinion; since the user did not provide a source or attribution I can only infer that it is that uers's opinion. We should try not to add our opinions to the article. Second, I do not agree that changing "spy" to "intelligence gathering" is an improvement. The word "spy" has a commonly understood meaning; "intelligence" is a euphamism and jargon and might not be clear to people who are not familiar with its use as a euphamism by the US government. Moreover, the sources use the word "spy." It is what Boas accused them of doing, why not just say so? Finally, I do not agree with deleting the fact that Boas published a book on the Eskimo of Baffin Island. It is informative, and relevant given that it illustrates his shifting interests from learning about they physical environment to learning about the peoples inhabiting that environment. Thse are my reasons for reverting these edits. Slrubenstein | Talk 17:31, 26 March 2011 (UTC)

I think a "group" is both more neutral and factual than describing Morley's associates as "confederates". You reverted many more edits than just those two you mention here - many of which were improvements of language.·Maunus·ƛ· 17:41, 26 March 2011 (UTC)

Yes, I also reverted the change of "(which included not only Boasian Anthropology but Freudian psychoanalysis and Einsteinian physics)" to "which included Einsteinian physics, Freudian psychoanalysis and Boasian Anthropology" because the article is about Boas, Boasian anthropology is the most salient, and I think it should be mentioned first. If you really think this edit is an improvement, please explain it to me. Also, I reverted "in which he proclaimed" back to "declaring." I think fewer words is better, and honestly, I see not real superiority of "declare" over "proclaim."

I also restored this "(a charge that was especially insulting, given that his concerns about this very issue were what had prompted Boas to write his letter in the first place)" - I do not think I added it to the article, but I assume that whoever did had good reason to. However, if you really think it should be deleted I won't object. I will also change confederate to group.

I really think I have now covered all the stuff I reverted. If I have forgotten something do let me know because I really have tried to cover everything I was conscious of. Slrubenstein | Talk 18:00, 26 March 2011 (UTC)

Additional citations

Why, what, where, and how does this article need additional citations for verification? Hyacinth (talk) 07:26, 18 August 2011 (UTC) Big text

Boas’ Character as a Jew is Essential to Understanding Him

Look, the guy was a German Jew, as am I. His downplaying of his religious background does not change reality. (Indeed, had he remained in Germany, his denial of his status as a Jew would not have impressed the Nazis.) Saying that he was “German-American” is misleading, as it suggests that he was a gentile. Saying that he was “of Jewish ancestry” is equally misleading, since it suggests that he was a gentile who had patrilineal Jewish forbears. The claim that “Boas did not identify as Jewish because he believed the concept of a Jewish ‘race’ to be false” is a red herring. Judaism is a religion, not a race, and an ethnicity, perhaps to the degree that one was born of a Jewish mother, but does not identify as a Jew. However the notion of Judaism as an ethnicity is deeply problematic, as it contradicts the standard definition of ethnicity as derived from the nation of one’s forbears. Thus, it as if one’s forbears came from a land called “Judea.” Thus, Boas’ ethnicity was German. (Actually, after World War II, secular American Jewish sociologists promoted the misleading notion that Judaism was merely an “ethnicity.”)

If you’re going to push the fact that he was a Jew down to later in the article, then you have to do the same with “German-American,” because his Jewishness was as significant or moreso than his Germanness.

Whether he refused to identify as a Jew does not change reality. I am a German-American Jew, and many of my patrilineal forebears were Jewish anti-Semites who did not identify as Jews, and who married gentiles at the earliest opportunity, but no honest biographer of them would diminish the significance of their having been Jews. And this is not unique to my family. The brand of anti-Semitism unique to German Jews and their descendants in America is an integral part of their story. One aspect of this anti-Semitism was a hatred of the Jewish religion; another was a hatred of less wealthy Eastern European Jews, whom the German Jews considered unclean and ignorant; a possible third aspect may have been German Jews’ desire to completely assimilate to upper-crust American society. (German Jews’ desire to completely assimilate to gentile society, both in Germany and America, proved disastrous during the Holocaust. Jews waited too long to flee Germany, and American Jewish leaders, most notoriously Rabbi Stephen Wise, and the owners of the New York Times, refrained from publicly pressuring President Franklin Delano Roosevelt from intervening to save European Jews, out of a misplaced desire not to appear selfish.)

There is also a uniquely German-Jewish arrogance and sense of aristocratic entitlement, which often is veiled by “noblesse oblige” towards gentiles (particularly blacks) of less means and influence. In Boas’ case, he expressed “noblesse oblige” toward blacks by working with the NAACP, and consciously foisting pseudo-science that denied racial differences on the world. The assertion that “it is paradoxical that he sees racism as a problem caused by the existence of races instead of being created by culturally defined attitudes to races” is no paradox at all. Boas acknowledged both that races exist, and (acknowledged early on) that they are unequal. His pseudo-science and agitation for “miscegenation” were parts of his strategy to change the facts on the ground, and thereby turn his pseudo-science into a self-fulfilling prophecy.

As Eastern European Jews became more financially successful, German Jews’ hatred of them died out, and was replaced with a generalized hatred towards lower-middle-class, working-class, and poor Jews that the German Jews now shared with well-to-do Jews of Eastern European descent.74.72.23.106 (talk) 04:52, 31 October 2011 (UTC)

If you presented any reputable source in support of your view it would be easier to take it seriously. If Judaism is a religion and Boas was not religious then how was he a Jew exactly? I agree that his relation to Judaism is relevant and interesting, but not for the reasons you do. I don't believe that you can demonstrate that Boas had any hatred of any ethnic or religious group whatsoever - particularly not for the Jews. ·ʍaunus·snunɐw· 04:59, 31 October 2011 (UTC)

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