Ashley Montagu (June 28, 1905, London, England - November 26, 1999, Princeton, New Jersey), was an English anthropologist and humanist who popularized issues such as race and gender and their relation to politics and development. (Some entries on this page have been duplicated on August 1. ... 1905 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... November 26 is the 330th day (331st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday Anno Domini (or the Current Era), and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population - Total (mid-2004) - Density Ranked 1st UK 50. ... See Anthropology. ... Humanism is an active ethical and philosophical approach to life focusing on human solutions to human issues through rational arguments without recourse to a god, gods, sacred texts or religious creeds. ... A race is a population of humans distinguished from other populations. ... In a variety of different contexts, gender refers to the masculinity or femininity of words, persons, organisms, or characteristics. ...

Montagu was born in London's East End as Israel Ehrenberg. He later changed his name to "Montague Francis Ashley-Montagu" and went by "Ashley Montagu" after moving to the United States. He developed an interest in anatomy very quickly and as a boy was befriended by Arthur Keith. In 1922, at the age of 17, he entered University College London, where he received a diploma in psychology after studying with Karl Pearson and C.E. Spearman and taking anthropology courses with Eliott Grafton Smith and C.G. Seligman. He also studied at the University of Florence, where became one of the first students of Bronislaw Malinowski. He pursued post-graduate work at Columbia University, where he produced a dissertation in 1938 entitled Coming into being among the Australian Aborigines: A study of the procreative beliefs of the native tribes of Australia which was directed by Franz Boas and Ruth Benedict. He taught anatomy at various school in the United States before becoming a professor of anthropology at Rutgers from 1949 to 1955. The term East End is most commonly used to refer to the East End of London. ... Sir Arthur Keith (February 5, 1866—January 7, 1955) was a Scottish anatomist and anthropologist, and was a leading figure in the study of Human fossils. ... 1922 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... University College London, commonly known as UCL, is one of the colleges that make up the University of London. ... Psychology (Classical Greek: psyche = soul or mind, logos = study of) is an academic and applied field involving the study of behavior, mind and thought and the neurological bases of behavior. ... Karl Pearson (pencil sketch in notebook; there is some see-through of writing on next page) Karl Pearson (March 27, 1857 – April 27, 1936) was a major contributor to the early development of statistics as a serious scientific discipline in its own right. ... Charles Edward Spearman (September 10, 1863 - September 7, 1945) was an English psychologist known for work in statistics, as a pioneer of factor analysis, and for Spearmans rank correlation coefficient. ... Anthropology (from the Greek word άνθρωπος, human) consists of the study of humankind (see genus Homo). ... Charles Gabriel Seligman (1873-1940) was a British ethnologist. ... For the Olympic champion athlete see Bronislaw Malinowski (athlete). ... Columbia University is a private university in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. ... 1938 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Franz Boas Franz Boas (July 9, 1858 – December 22, 1942) was one of the pioneers of modern anthropology and is often called the Father of American Anthropology. Like many such pioneers, he trained in other disciplines; he received his doctorate in physics, and did post-doctoral work in geography. ... Ruth Benedict (née Fulton) (June 6, 1887 - September 17, 1948) was an American anthropologist. ... Rutgers University Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is located in New Brunswick, Piscataway, Camden and Newark, New Jersey. ...

In the 1950s Montagu produced a series of works questioning the validity of race as a biological concept, including the UNESCO Statement on Race and his very well-known Man’s Most Dangerous Myth: The Fallacy of Race. He was particularly opposed to the work of Carleton Coon. In 1952, together with William Vogt, he gave the first Alfred Korzybski Memorial Lecture, inaugurating the series. A race is a population of humans distinguished from other populations. ... UNESCO logo The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, commonly known as UNESCO, is a specialized agency of the United Nations system established in 1946. ... Carleton Stevens Coon, (23 June 1904 — 6 June 1981) was an eminent American anthropologist. ... The distinguished Alfred Korzybski Memorial Lecture (AKML) series was begun in 1952. ...

He retired from his academic career in 1955 and moved to Princeton, New Jersey to pursue his popular writing and public appearances. He became a well-known guest on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. He directed his numerous published studies on the significant relationship of mother and infant to the general public. The humanizing effects of touch informed the studies of isolation-reared monkeys and adult pathological violence that is the subject of his Time-Life documentary “Rock A Bye Baby” (1970). Princeton, New Jersey is the name of a town in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. ... Johnny Carson John William Johnny Carson (October 23, 1925 – January 23, 2005) was an American actor, comedian and writer best known for his iconic status as the host of The Tonight Show from 1962 until 1992. ... The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was the full name of NBCs The Tonight Show during the years that Johnny Carson hosted. ...

Later in life, Montagu actively opposed genital modification and mutilation of children. In 1994, James Prescott, Ph.D., wrote and named in honor of Dr. Montagu, who was one of its original signers, the Ashley Montagu Resolution to End the Genital Mutilation of Children Worldwide: A Petition to the World Court, The Hague. Supporters worldwide sign it now at http://MontaguNoCircPetition.org. Genital modification and genital mutilation both can refer to permanent or temporary changes to the human genitals. ... The Ashley Montagu Resolution refers to the petition to the World Court to end the genital modification and mutilation of children worldwide. ... The World Court refers collectively to the Permanent Court of International Justice (PCIJ) and its successor the International Court of Justice (ICJ). ... Arms of The Hague The Hague (with capital T; Dutch: Den Haag, or officially s-Gravenhage) is the administrative capital of the Netherlands, located in the west of the country, in the province South Holland of which it is also the capital. ...

Montagu taught and lectured at Harvard, Princeton (where he chaired the Department of Anthropology), University of California, and New York University. He wrote over 60 books. Harvard University is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, and a member of the Ivy League. ... For other Princetons, see Princeton. ... The University of California (UC) is a public university system within the State of California. ... New York University (NYU) is a major research university in New York City. ...

Books by Montagu

(list not complete)

• Life Before Birth
• Touching: The Human Significance of The Skin 1971
• On Being Human
• The Nature of Human Aggression
• The Natural Superiority of Women
• Growing Young
• Living and Loving
• The Peace of The World
• Man’s Most Dangerous Myth: The Fallacy of Race
• Human Evolution
• The Elephant Man
• Anthropology and Human Nature

He is co-author with Floyd Matson of The Human Connection and The Dehumanization of Man. He is the writer and director of the film "One World or None," described as one of the best documentaries ever made. He collaborated with Sir Frederick Treves to research and write The Elephant Man: A Study in Human Dignity. Human evolution is the process of change and development, or evolution, by which human beings emerged as distinct species. ... Joseph Merrick, sometimes called John Merrick, known as The Elephant Man. ... Frederick Treves is an established British actor with an extensive repertoir. ... Joseph Merrick, sometimes called John Merrick, known as The Elephant Man. ...

Quotes

• "Science has proof without any certainty. Creationists have certainty without any proof."
• "The natural superiority of women is a biological fact, and a socially acknowledged reality."
• "The idea is to die young as late as possible."
• "... circumcision, an archaic ritual mutilation that has no justification whatever and no place in a civilized society." - in "Mutilated Humanity"

External links

• Biographical notice of Dr. Ashley Montagu
• Stevan Harnad: Ashley Montagu 1905-1999
• Ashley Montagu Resolution
• Mutilated Humanity