!<:-) An attempt to do a mortar-board cap to indicate the happy educator! Don't think it will catch on.

: I thought I'd make one comment and ask a question at the same tiem. Genetic superiority was mentioned, and that may be the proper term, but I hasten to add that in religious circles, the first men after Adam were thought to be superior to us and we, as a race, have been degenerating ever since. That is why Methesula lived to be 900 years (or so). I suspect that this is the theory that Tolkien was operating on when he wrote LOTR and not some genetic uberman. Am I correct?

It's a difficult point - the Edain seem to have been quite good specimens of humanity when they first entered Beleriand. Following this the effects of Eldar culture and a small admixture of Elven blood seem to have increased their moral, intellectual and cultural stature above that of other mannish groups. Tolkien also stated that living in Numenor (being close to the Undying Lands), increased the physical stature and longevity of the Dunedain and possibly had other effects.
The effects of Numenor were steadily diminished over time in the descendants of the Numenoreans living in ME, this could be seen as a parallel to the Biblical view of the post Adamite men.
So I guess that the Dunedain would have had some measure of cultural, mental and physical superiority over the groups of men who remained in ME.

This does tend to have a somewhat ubermensch tone about it. Though to be fair to Tolkien the great deeds of the War of the Ring were largely done by hobbits who were small, weak and of no great account beforehand, which can be seen as a sort of reverse side of the coin to the Numenoreans.