In 2007 Dr. Watson told a British journalist that he was, "inherently gloomy about the prospects of Africa..." He went on to say that there seemed to be something genetically inferior with the African races compared to their European (white) counterparts. He claimed that he took no pleasure in pointing out these differences, but that they were very clear and apparent. Since that interview, Dr. Watson was been shunned by the academic and scientific communities. His former colleagues argue that his views on race have absolutely no basis in science. Dr Francis Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health said that, "It is disappointing that someone who made such groundbreaking contributions to science is perpetuating such scientifically unsupported and hurtful beliefs."
So, the question I put to you is this. What do we do with people who have made positive and significant contributions to the world in science, literature, sports, philosophy, or anything else, while at the same time holding racist or bigoted beliefs? Do we celebrate these discoveries or ignore them?
Another example is of famed philosopher Martin Heidegger, who wrote perhaps the most significant philosophical work of the 20th century, Being and Time. He wrote about man's relationship with technology and how that relationship was changing and evolving. Despite his brilliance however, Heidegger was a member of the Nazi Party in Germany during World War II.
Thoughts?