Taleb dunking on IQ “research” at length. Technically a seriouspost I guess.
Did I ever argue for the tossing out of psychometrics?
IQ in its current state has not been extracted from its racist origins. If the sole basis of modern genetics was fascists and their hangers-on trying to find a new way to root out removed your arguement may have a point, but it has moved on from the eugenicists of old. Whereas the basis of IQ testing is largely unchanged from its origins and the consequences of that remain largely unexamined by the people that argue in its favour.
The theories of Arthur Jensen, a (now deceased) proponent of eugenics via IQ testing have been used argue against the establishment of welfare programs and affirmative action.
Charles Murray, the surviving author of The Bell Curve is still rattling around pushing for segregated education in order to form a “cognitive elite”.
Former prime minister of the UK Boris Johnson is a proud proponent of IQ based eugenics.
As were the people that informed his policies.
You can’t claim this stuff is in the past when it’s still being used by neoliberals to inform policy.
