COMMENT ⊗   VALID 00002 PAGES
C REC  PAGE   DESCRIPTION
C00001 00001
C00002 00002	\input jmclet[let,jmc]
C00006 ENDMK
C⊗;
\input jmclet[let,jmc]
\jmclet
\vskip 30pt
\address 
New York Times Magazine
229 West 43d St.
New York, N.Y. 10036

\body
To the Editor:

	In ``The Aggressors'', August 14, Dr. Melvin Konner introduces
a new silly slogan, ``testosterone poisoning'', to describe the effects
of testosterone on the personality differences between males and
females.  As an M.D., Dr. Konner is like many specialists in exaggerating
what his science can say about the problems of the world --- or
maybe it's a fad among anthropologists.
Presumably the amount of testosterone in males is about the same throughout
the world, but cultures differ enormously in the prevalence of aggressiveness.
The peaceful Norwegians of today are the descendants of the aggresive
Vikings, and the gang members in Los Angeles have no more testosterone
than the more peaceful suburbanites.  Accepting that the studies show
a greater tendency to aggressive behavior in males than in females,
surely Dr. Konner will agree that cultural and political factors are
much more important in determining the amount of person-to-person
fighting and the amount of war.

	Calling testosterone a poison suggests that all
characteristics distinguishing males from females are harmful.
Studies with similar methodology to those Dr. Konner cites show male children
as more adventurous than females, and others show very large ratios
between male and female adolescents with high mathematical talent.
Until Dr. Konner can show that the achievements of Archimedes, Newton,
Shakespeare, Locke, Voltaire, Jefferson and Einstein are unrelated to
their testosterone, he should fear further debasing discussion
of the differences between the sexes.  The long centuries of static
societies in Egypt and China tell us that human progress depends on
a small number of adventurous and creative people.  Regarding testosterone
as a poison might engender policies that would intefere with the
delicate plant of creativity.

\closing
Sincerely,



John McCarthy

\annotations
%\vskip 1in
%Enclosure
\vskip .3in
JMC/ra 
\endletter
\end