Phenotypically Marked Ancestry Groups and the Biological Phenomenon of Race

My thesis is that, properly understood, the biological phenomenon of race, exists. The biological phenomenon of race, properly understood, is constituted by phenotypically marked ancestry groups (PMAGs) that are minimalist biological races. My discussion proceeds in four stages. Stage One introduces the novel idea of PMAGs as a relatively superficial but non-trivial biological kind. It argues that such groups exist and constitute a biological phenomenon (Section 1). The second stage argues that that the biological-phenomenon-of-race-exists claim must not be understood as the thesis that racialist races exist. (Section 2). Stage Three introduces the deflationary minimalist conception of race (MCR). It argues that PMAGs satisfy the MCR, that the MCR is a genuine conception of race, that PMAGs are minimalist biological races, and that they constitute the biological phenomenon of race, properly understood (Section 3). The fourth stage argues that the MCR is an emancipatory conception (section 4). Section 5 concludes.