RE: comparisons with other lists

From: Emlyn O'regan (oregan.emlyn@healthsolve.com.au)
Date: Tue Aug 07 2001 - 01:05:35 MDT


I like your post, Spike. Apologies in advance for snipping all the good
bits!

> If you have access to Murray and Herrnstein's The
> Bell Curve, do read their introduction, where they
> acknowledge that differences in race is a terribly
> difficult topic to study or even discuss. They lay out
> their approach, to be as honest, open minded, fair
> and logical as is humanly possible. Whether or not
> we agree with their conclusions, Murray and Herrnstein
> are worth the time to read methinks, as are their
> many opponents.
>

Just to spill a few more worms from our already battered can, I've got to
take issue with reference to The Bell Curve. As far as I am aware, this book
has been thoroughly debunked... here are a couple of quick references that I
scratched (or googled) up.

http://www.mdle.com/WrittenWord/rholhut/holhut27.htm
"Take the racist beliefs of the Ku Klux Klan or the Aryan Nation. Cloak
those beliefs in academic robes and what do you get? You get a best seller."

http://www.kwaku.org/rm/debunk/dBell.htm
The Bell Curve sets up several premises which together add up to an ugly
policy for America posing as science. Here's how to kill it.

Also, I think that Stephen J Gould hammers it pretty hard in "The Mismeasure
of Man".

Emlyn

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