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August 30, 2005
Beyond the Taboo
Yesterday I had a chance to read "The Inequality Taboo" in the September issue of Commentary Magazine. In this essay, Charles Murray revisits the question of intelligence among groups, and strongly urges us to remove the blinders of political correctness and begin to view things as they are, not as we would have them be. Murray has a good point, and I sincerely hope his well-reasoned essay sparks debate on this topic.
As a bi-racial man who has always been considered intelligent, I found Murray's discussion of the persistent gap in raw intelligence between blacks and whites in this country to be utterly fascinating. However, concepts with enormous policy implications such as those addressed in this essay ought to be presented carefully. The tone-deaf delivery of his concepts in this essay serves as proof that Charles Murray has not learned much about how to influence people in the 11 years since the merits of his book, The Bell Curve, were drowned out by vicious public outcry over some of the findings in that work. It is somewhat ironic to reflect on the fact that while Murray has a demonstrable aptitude for developing complex ideas, he clearly has no aptitude for convincing the public of the value of those ideas.
But there is value in Murray's concepts, and if this society can overcome the ingrained though absurd belief that individuals are all equal, we would stand to gain much. The taboo is strong, though; as I learned when I discussed this essay with my mother, who is white. She had nothing but hostility for any theory suggesting that blacks in this country are less skilled than whites. But the suggestion that blacks are in some ways more skilled than whites or that woman are in some ways more skilled than men met with no argument. This is political correctness short-circuiting logic, and a clear sign that the voice of Charles Murray should be amplified by supporters, not drowned out by critics uncomfortable with following the data wherever it may lead.
Posted by Audi Partem Alteram at August 30, 2005 12:27 AM
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