And One More Ridiculous Post:

I'll call this (impetuous and useless hypothesis) the Universal Gradient of Personhood to Species.

The Universal Gradient* goes like this:

I have certain characteristics, both physical and mental. Suppose I have a slight pattern of mental behaviour which is. . . selfish. Now, most of us would agree that such a characteristic would be simply and effectively known.

However, suppose one were to make that comment about my entire immediate family. Going along with that, let us suppose that it is true, but for one person. Such a generalization is a good and useful thing. In fact, it may even be said that such attributes are genetic and that people who do not express them may yet pass them on to their children. Thus, our generalization becomes ever more useful as it accurately describes potential as well as actual.

Let us take our supposition a step farther to assuming that it applies, instead of my family, to all of the British race (to which it may be said that I belong, at least in part). Now it may be said by some that indeed, every individual who is British is selfish, however I dare say that truth would not be prevalent in that statement. As the gradient increases to a larger and larger group, the truth becomes diluted. However, diluted as the truth becomes, it remains, as there are many individuals within that group (Certainly not YOU) which have that attribute, and perhaps not having it, contain the ability to deliver it unto their progeny.

The field of genetics remains highly influential. A more definitive statement of the Universal Gradient is the smaller the sum of all genetic differences within a group of persons, the greater the accuracy of generalizations applied to said group. This is essentially using genetic similarity as the basis for the derivation of racism, family feuds, and other sorts of discrimination. Essentially, all those people who discriminate do have a basis to stand on, as there are in fact, strong differences between groups.

*Please note that the Universal Gradient approaches species but never reaches it