The app for independent voices

Race is indeed a social construct, not a biological one. Neurodiversity refers to relatively random variation in the architecture of the brain, and has nothing to do with race. Human brains are not blank hard drives. The brain's architecture is unrelated to "race," as the term "race" is based on outward physical appearance (in the US) and/or cultural practice, ancestral heritage.

Neurodiversity has the opposite meaning of the Nazi conception of race, as the Nazi's brutally enforced their ideal uniform construct. The terms neurodiversity and neurotypical are unrelated to the Nazi vision of labeling dissidents as mentally ill, as well as executing and experimenting on children who didn’t fit their vision of normal.

"Neurodiversity" is a term that labels diverse brains as normal, fully human, and intrinsically valuable. While certain neurological conditions can impose hardships on individuals who are therefore deserving of treatment, it is inappropriate to use derogatory labels to describe those individuals.

This comment conjures up a debate over the origins of autism and Asperger’s Syndrome, and whether Hans Asperger was a Nazi collaborator who sent children to their death, or whether he saved some kids. Our understanding of autism and what is no longer called Asperger’s Syndrome don’t really come from Hans Asperger. While first identifying the condition, he didn’t really publish much of value.

Jun 16, 2023
at
1:37 PM

Log in or sign up

Join the most interesting and insightful discussions.