The thing about race and intelligence (aside form the fact that it’s a hopelessly toxic topic) is that most folks making claims relating the two can’t possibly have the data to be confident about anything. Intelligence is complicated, very complicated. “Race” is complicated, too. I don’t have to obfuscate anything here, because genetics is inherently weird and messy, and so are brains.
So if folks sound confident, or make strong claims they are either confused or racist or both. The everburning tire fire of slatestar’s comment section (when it comes to this topic) is a prime example of what I am talking about.
I am inclined to agree, except that rather than “confused or racist” I would say “confused or strongly influenced by prior prejudices”, and note that one can have prior prejudices against racial IQ differences as well as for them. That is, if someone declares confidently that of course there are no differences between races in mental qualities, that’s evidence of bad thinking for all the same reasons as if they declare confidently that there are such differences.
A prior prejudice against racial brainpower differences is much nicer than a prior prejudice in favour of such differences, and probably people with the former kind of prejudice are mostly better people than ones with the latter kind, but letting either induce confident strong opinions about race-and-intelligence is the same kind of mistake.
most folks making claims relating the two can’t possibly have the data … So if folks sound confident, or make strong claims they are either confused or racist or both
There is a big difference between “most folks” and “all folks”.
Just because e.g. Twitter is an permanent garbage fire about most complicated topics does not mean that everyone with an opinion about one of these topics is confused (or racist).
I’m puzzled by this comment. Ilya didn’t say anything about “e.g. Twitter” (he did mention the Slate Star Codex comments section, which is a far cry from Twitter), and he didn’t say anything about “everyone with an opinion”.
I am reading “So if folks sound confident” as “So if [all/any] folks sound confident”. I believe Ilya’s point is that no one should have strong opinions on race/IQ and I disagree with it.
The thing about race and intelligence (aside form the fact that it’s a hopelessly toxic topic) is that most folks making claims relating the two can’t possibly have the data to be confident about anything. Intelligence is complicated, very complicated. “Race” is complicated, too. I don’t have to obfuscate anything here, because genetics is inherently weird and messy, and so are brains.
So if folks sound confident, or make strong claims they are either confused or racist or both. The everburning tire fire of slatestar’s comment section (when it comes to this topic) is a prime example of what I am talking about.
I am inclined to agree, except that rather than “confused or racist” I would say “confused or strongly influenced by prior prejudices”, and note that one can have prior prejudices against racial IQ differences as well as for them. That is, if someone declares confidently that of course there are no differences between races in mental qualities, that’s evidence of bad thinking for all the same reasons as if they declare confidently that there are such differences.
A prior prejudice against racial brainpower differences is much nicer than a prior prejudice in favour of such differences, and probably people with the former kind of prejudice are mostly better people than ones with the latter kind, but letting either induce confident strong opinions about race-and-intelligence is the same kind of mistake.
Why so? Certainly one is much more socially acceptable than the other, but that’s not the usual definition of “nice”.
Is a “prior prejudice” against, say, sex differences in upper body strength “much nicer” than a prior prejudice in favour?
There is a big difference between “most folks” and “all folks”.
Just because e.g. Twitter is an permanent garbage fire about most complicated topics does not mean that everyone with an opinion about one of these topics is confused (or racist).
I’m puzzled by this comment. Ilya didn’t say anything about “e.g. Twitter” (he did mention the Slate Star Codex comments section, which is a far cry from Twitter), and he didn’t say anything about “everyone with an opinion”.
I am reading “So if folks sound confident” as “So if [all/any] folks sound confident”. I believe Ilya’s point is that no one should have strong opinions on race/IQ and I disagree with it.