Re: The Bell Curve globally viewed

On Mon, 30 Apr 2007 15:03:58 GMT, jimstevens
<jimstevens@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

[Default] On Mon, 30 Apr 2007 06:02:36 -0700, NoName
<NoName@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Mon, 30 Apr 2007 07:20:51 -0400, "Evelyn Ruut"
<evelyn.ruut@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:


"All generalizations stink, including this one."

There is a great variety among humans, and it is very difficult to pin such
trends down to some particular race or nationality.

Some are more intelligent or talented in this or that area, and some are
not. IQ tests can miss a lot.

You can of course, believe this nonsense if you think it provides you some
sort of sanity in your life, but being addicted to logic of this kind can
cause you a lot of unhappiness, not to mention being wrong a lot of the
time.

So much better to take every human being for what they are, quite simply,
each as a unique package of abilities, talents, and human endeavors.

Trying to jam people into boxes and cages in your own mind will only make
YOU crazy and leave you wrong more than half the time.

What I object to is Jeff's faith-based acceptance of a group of
researchers, many of whom have been supported by numerous financial
grants from organizations with a distinct bias. He insists they
have proven their arguments beyond all doubt. He read the Bell Curve
from cover to cover and made it the basis for a belief system.
But then, it is obvious their conclusions had to have fitted snugly
into his pre-existing belief system.

But the last word has NOT been said on connections between
intelligence, races, life chances, and DNA is showing us that race
is not a valid concept by which we can order people.

Furthermore, if you set out to prove a point with an initial notion
of what you want the outcome to be, that is not good "science".
Good scientists should always be thinking against themselves.
A scientifific hypothesis is just that -- a hypothesis is never
proved to absolute certainty.

Jeff thinks the conclusions of the Bell Curve actually favor
groups it has labeled as far less intelligent than other groups
because that means we can't expect too much from them. This may
on the surface be seen as a benign attitude, but it it is not.
It gives great power to the groups he believes are the intellectual
"elites" to determine what should be done about those who don't
measure up on IQ tests.

I don't know if he can see what his remarkable reliance on The
Bell Curve as the end all of studies of intelligence reveals
about him. A healthy skepticism would serve him better. But
he read one book, and a book that was never subject to peer
review before publication.

The authors of the Bell Curve not only reached conclusions
they were not willing to leave open for further research but
they also opined on the social policy that should be adopted
as the result of their one study. It is remarkable the trust
some have placed in two men -- one who ran rats in experimental
psychology and the other with a long history of connections
to right wing think tanks. I can only surmise it is because
their conclusions neatly fit the uneasiness many people seem
to have regarding people not of their race. And gave them
a handle by which to declare "Eureka! We were right all
along." These men did none of the research on intelligence
themselves. They simply chose from existing research that
supported their pre-determined conclusion. They did not
do what every good researcher should do, "think against themselves."


What it the deal demonizing someone for supporting a position? Jeeze,
talk about statements revealing. Everything is about you and how
others either agree or are going to get the treatment. i don't see
any of the crap you run off with above in anything Jeff said. He read
a book, thought about it and liked a lot of what he saw. I am
surprised you get anyone to engage you.

Don't worry about it -- not your problem.

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Scientific assumptions [was: Help needed with expletives
    ... By people who were supporting ... Curve, not THE Bell Curve. ... the Bell Curve imply that it's about race? ... All reports indicate that it did indeed contain chapters on race. ...
    (rec.arts.sf.composition)
  • Re: The Bell Curve globally viewed
    ... trends down to some particular race or nationality. ... A scientifific hypothesis is just that -- a hypothesis is never ... Jeff thinks the conclusions of the Bell Curve actually favor ... I don't know if he can see what his remarkable reliance on The ...
    (soc.retirement)
  • Re: Scientific assumptions [was: Help needed with expletives
    ... Gerry Quinn wrote: ... likely have some organic mental deficiency that is signalled by low IQ, ... the Bell Curve imply that it's about race? ...
    (rec.arts.sf.composition)
  • Re: Race and IQ
    ... The study of race and intelligence is the controversial.... ... amost all tests indicate that there is a ... small compared to the variation within groups, ... the bell curve for American blacks ...
    (talk.origins)
  • Re: The Race on Sky
    ... I was supporting the girls, because frankly I can't bring myself to support ... On the boys team you had ... A cracking race at the end though. ...
    (rec.autos.sport.f1)