From: Dan Fabulich (dfabulich@warpmail.net)
Date: Fri Sep 13 2002 - 14:15:17 MDT
Rafal Smigrodzki wrote:
> > This is a pity, because what he has to say about human differences
> > (they exist) and discrimination (it's *still* wrong and unjustified)
> > is so obvious; it's a sad statement on the current picture of
> > academia that his message is so controversial.
>
>
> ### I wonder if mentioning this book will earn you accusations of being a
> barbarian, racist, or maybe even a Nazi. After all, Pinker reiterates the
> notion universally accepted by psychologists, that the variation in
> intelligence is predominantly determined by genetics, a fact vehemently
> denied by the non-expert academic left.
Actually, it's even more pathetic than that. While Pinker has argued that
certain behaviors are predominantly genetic and therefore within the
explanatory scope of evolutionary psychology, he has not argued that they
are "predominantly determined." Similarly for intelligence.
He merely argues that these non-trivial genetic factors *exist*, but that
it is nonetheless morally unjustified to discriminate against people on
this basis. Yet even many of the experts are afraid to admit even such a
trivial thesis as this!
-Dan
-unless you love someone-
-nothing else makes any sense-
e.e. cummings
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