Grace (a) has no new data, and (b) has no new arguments. When she makes the claim that the search for evidence that the race-iq correlation is not genetic has been “unsuccessful”, she hurts people. But she does not, in return, contribute anything at all to the discourse.
Isn’t acknowledging what few others will acknowledge contributing to the discourse? A substantial portion of intellectuals refuse to even acknowledge the possibility that there is a correlation between race and intelligence (controlling for culture, etc). And they don’t get publicly shamed for shoddy science. Yet Grace should get publicly shamed for pointing out that the evidence suggests such a correlation? It’s not as if she claimed a high degree of certainty. Besides, the best way to overcome any disadvantages one race might have in intelligence is to understand why there are differences in the first place. Refusing to believe in a substantial portion of the hypothesis space for no good reason is a potentially huge detriment to this aim.
Grace certainly made a social error, and for that perhaps she can be criticized, but it shouldn’t be a social error to acknowledge different possibilities and the evidence for those possibilities in an intellectual* conversation.
* I.e., truth seeking. The evidence/possibilities shouldn’t be used in a condescending way, of course.
Besides, the best way to overcome any disadvantages one race might have in intelligence is to understand why there are differences in the first place.
It gets a lot more complicated when those differences are significantly directly affected by publicly discussing them, as seems to be the case. This statement may very well be true, but it’s also an applause light, and makes it sound like you think reality is obligated to be set up so that truthseeking wins.
It gets a lot more complicated when those differences are significantly affected by publicly discussing them, as seems to be the case.
Fair enough, though I’ll point out that the discussion was over dinner/email, not in an extremely public forum where many people will be exposed (though there is still the possibility that friends tell friends who tell friends, etc.).
...and makes it sound like you think reality is obligated to be set up so that truthseeking wins.
Yes, I see that now. How about this: it’s unclear that the best strategy for combating any racial disadvantages is not talking about them, rather than determining the cause and attempting to do something proactive about it.
Isn’t acknowledging what few others will acknowledge contributing to the discourse? A substantial portion of intellectuals refuse to even acknowledge the possibility that there is a correlation between race and intelligence (controlling for culture, etc). And they don’t get publicly shamed for shoddy science. Yet Grace should get publicly shamed for pointing out that the evidence suggests such a correlation? It’s not as if she claimed a high degree of certainty. Besides, the best way to overcome any disadvantages one race might have in intelligence is to understand why there are differences in the first place. Refusing to believe in a substantial portion of the hypothesis space for no good reason is a potentially huge detriment to this aim.
Grace certainly made a social error, and for that perhaps she can be criticized, but it shouldn’t be a social error to acknowledge different possibilities and the evidence for those possibilities in an intellectual* conversation.
* I.e., truth seeking. The evidence/possibilities shouldn’t be used in a condescending way, of course.
It gets a lot more complicated when those differences are significantly directly affected by publicly discussing them, as seems to be the case. This statement may very well be true, but it’s also an applause light, and makes it sound like you think reality is obligated to be set up so that truthseeking wins.
Fair enough, though I’ll point out that the discussion was over dinner/email, not in an extremely public forum where many people will be exposed (though there is still the possibility that friends tell friends who tell friends, etc.).
Yes, I see that now. How about this: it’s unclear that the best strategy for combating any racial disadvantages is not talking about them, rather than determining the cause and attempting to do something proactive about it.