Equações mentais da categorização

“As soon as we recognize that there is nothing morally commendable about the products of evolution, we can describe human psicology honestily , without the fear that identifying a “natural” trait is the same as condoning it. (...) many commentators from the religious and cultural right believe that any behaviour that strikes them as biologically atipical such as homosexuality, voluntary childlessness, and women who assume traditional male roles or vice versa, should be condenmed because it is “unnatural”. For example, the popular talk show host Laura Shlesinger has declared, “i am getting people to stop doing wrong and start doing right”. As part of this crusade she has called on gay people to submit to therapy to change their sexual orientation, because homosexuality is a “biological error”. This kind of moral reasonging can come only from people who knows nothing about biology. Most activities that moral people extol – being faithful to one’s spouse, turning the other cheek , treating every child as precious, loving thy neigbor as thyself – are “biological erros” and are utteraly unnatural in the resto f the living world. Pinker : 2002 – 164

A origem da discriminação resulta em primeira instancia de uma equação falaciosa entre a normalidade (estatistica) e a naturalidade, e anormalidade (estatistica) e a não naturalidade. A não naturalidade torna-se então num elemento sujeito a reavaliações e validações (concepções desse elemento como pureza ou perigo) perante o sistema cultural onde acontece que as toleram em certos casos ou as tentam eliminar noutros tantos.