Carleton Stevens Coon

From Philosopedia

Coon, Carleton Stevens (23 June 1904 - 3 June 1981)

Coon was one of the last of a generation of anthropological generalists, with wide-ranging knowledge in such fields as paleoanthropology, ethnography, and physical and cultural anthropology. He authored dozens of books and hundreds of scientific articles.

Educated at Harvard, he taught there from 1934 to 1948. He worked for OSS in North Africa during the Second World War. In 1948 he became professor of anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania and curator of ethnology at the University Museum there.

Coon's most controversial work was Origin of Races (1962), which argued that certain races had reached the Homo sapiens stage of evolution before others, which he found explained why different races achieved different levels of civilization. He was not a racist - what he was was an elitist, believing that race played an important part in human evolution, but that all modern races have produced highly intelligent individuals who collectively determine our future.

His racial theories were, however, challenged by many, and at one point he stepped down as President of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists.

Coon was always curious about religious practices, particularly those in primitive societies, but he was never a believer himself.

He died in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

His son, Carleton Coon Jr. also is an atheist.