Posted on 06/02/2005 4:00:59 PM PDT by voletti
THE idea that some ethnic groups may, on average, be more intelligent than others is one of those hypotheses that dare not speak its name. But Gregory Cochran, a noted scientific iconoclast, is prepared to say it anyway. He is that rare bird, a scientist who works independently of any institution. Even he, however, might tremble at the thought of what he is about to do. Together with Jason Hardy and Henry Harpending, of the University of Utah, he is publishing, in a forthcoming edition of the Journal of Biosocial Science, a paper which not only suggests that one group of humanity is more intelligent than the others, but explains the process that has brought this about. The group in question are Ashkenazi Jews. The process is natural selection. Ashkenazim generally do well in IQ tests, scoring 12-15 points above the mean value of 100, and have contributed disproportionately to the intellectual and cultural life of the West, as the careers of Freud, Einstein and Mahler, pictured above, affirm. They also suffer more often than most people from a number of nasty genetic diseases, such as Tay-Sachs and breast cancer. These facts, however, have previously been thought unrelated. The former has been put down to social effects, such as a strong tradition of valuing education. The latter was seen as a consequence of genetic isolation. Even now, Ashkenazim tend to marry among themselves. In the past they did so almost exclusively.
(Excerpt) Read more at economist.com ...
Yes, you did. When certain races consider themselves superior to others, bad things happen. I made that clear also.....
Or Nikola Tesla, his work and contribution to mankind, practical applications outshine all the Askenazims together. He was son of a priest. There make a theory about superiority and care for education by priests and Christians. Thanks to Tesla we have AC electricity, radio, turbines, etc. Practical things that benefited mankind, not some "theories" or "business wisdom".
Moe Berg!
"THE idea that some ethnic groups may, on average, be more intelligent than others is one of those hypotheses that dare not speak its name."
You know, it is funny, almost all people accept the fact that some individuals that are born with greater intellectual potential than others. Most also accept that there is a genetic component to this. We accept these things in spite of the fact that it makes nature appear to the "unfair." However, as soon as we pass from individuals or perhaps families to racial groups it becomes unacceptable. If nature endows certain individuals or families with above average intelligence then why is it not possible that it also happens on a racial level? I have to admit that I find this possibility troubling. THus I have to ask myself why I find nature's apparent unfairness at the individual level less troubling than the possibility of natures unfairness at a racial level? It seems that I have been taught/trained (and likely many others) to ascribe much more value to a racial group than the sum of the value of the individuals that make it up.
Given headlines and the alternatives to 'Christian', I would have guessed at least the second half of that one right.
Fair question. Take Einstein, my favorite scientist. Raise him in the hills of Arkansas with no education, he marries his cousin (just to finish the analogy). Does Einstein discovery Relativity without an education? Or does his 'genetic" makeup make him the wonder if the Ozarks?
if=of
This is a very good answer to the original post. I believe that your theory is true. Today, the young co-mingle without a sense of their history or heritage.
So I am trying to figer why 85% of them vote for RATs, write "news" in MSM, make twisted movies, etc. Are we so behind in our intelektikulalrs oh so dumb? This could be hugh part of the study!
Unfuny how another guy who was pushing superiority of his people ended up!
While your statement is generally true, this is a relatively recent phenomenon. The awarding of Nobel prizes has been politically correct for only about 20 years, give or take a few. Before that time period, Nobel prizes actually meant something.
Looking at the list of Ashkenazi Jews who won Nobels in post 23, they dominate the list both before and after the time of PC.
Well, it's also the way the kids are raised from young that can have an effect on IQ, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity. In many Jewish homes, in Asian homes, in Russian and Soviet era homes, (it's also true in other homes, of course, but these stand out because among these groups, most seem to do it), the stereotype, true or not, is that children are encouraged from a young age to ask questions, to think for themselves, to work hard at academics, to appreciate the arts - music, art, theatre, to appreciate food and culture, fine dining. A standard is set for excellence, achievement. Not many disappoint. Or at least, the bar is set higher.
No Sefardic Jews, Columbus would have been lucky to discover Africa.
This is hardly just a matter of "saying so." There are standardized tests involved that were created to measure general intelligence or "g." It is not merely a matter of opinion.
And the Ashkenazi Jews aren't the only group who score a full standard deviation above the norm. The Hmong also score a full standard deviation about the norm, as well.
Which proves, or disproves, the author's thesis, dependent on one's opinion of Ayn Rand.
Intelligence is only one important capability. Character and virtue determine whether the gift of intelligence is used for good or for ill in society.
I would beg to differ on natural selection; Jews have inadvertantly been bred to possess superior IQs. Nature didn't set up parameters of discrimination that subjected Jews to the most rigorous environmental conditions possible - it was man.
However, I do not believe Jews initially possessed any intrinsic advantage. Any group that is systematically denied the right to own property would necessarily have to move into more transportable services, such as entertainment, commerce, finance, medicine, etc. just to survive.
Those that possessed an aptitude for these fields were more economically succesful and thereby could support larger families. Track it out 2,000 years or so and we have a race of intellectual supermen.
The Nazis never had a chance - WWII was lost in 1933.
Well, we Ashkenzi Jews tend to stick together.
Same test. Leave the Hmong in Laos, uneducated. Are they superior?
10 to 15 points above the norm of 100, would hardly give them the ability to post intelligently around here. /sarcasm
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