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The dangers of IQ
By the title alone you know that IQ and the Wealth of Nations is going to be a controversial book. The book was recently reviewed, largely negatively but on scientific grounds without any charges of racism, in the Journal of Economic Literature (subs. required). What I didn't know was that one of the authors, Professor Tatu Vanhanen, is the father of Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen. The professor's words, therefore, have become a lightning rod for opponents of Matti Vahanen. So much so that the Finnish police considered whether to launch a criminal investigation of Professor Vanhanen for his comments on IQ, race, and the wealth of nations in a magazine interview. In the end, the police concluded that the Professor did not incite "racial hatred," nevertheless I find the episode rather chilling.
Addendum: Here are some brave economists on this issue. Thanks to Gene Expression and Randall Parker for the pointer.
Posted by Alex Tabarrok on August 17, 2004 at 07:30 AM in Current Affairs | Permalink
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» Jones & Schneider: 1330 IQ regressions from Gene Expression
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» Jones & Schneider: 1330 IQ regressions from Gene Expression
Very interesting new paper by Jones and Schneider that cites Lynn and Vanhanen: Human capital plays an important role in the theory of economic growth, but it has been difficult to measure this abstract concept. We survey the psychological literature... [Read More]
Tracked on Aug 17, 2004 9:09:32 AM
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» Brooks on the Bell Curve from Gene Expression
David Brooks comes out swinging with the best op-ed in the Times he's written to date, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Bell Curve: In a New York Times Magazine cover story, reporter Jason DeParle depicts Charles Murray sitting... [Read More]
Tracked on Aug 17, 2004 11:16:19 PM
» Brooks on the Bell Curve from Gene Expression
David Brooks comes out swinging with the best op-ed in the Times he's written to date, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Bell Curve: In a New York Times Magazine cover story, reporter Jason DeParle depicts Charles Murray sitting... [Read More]
Tracked on Aug 17, 2004 11:20:28 PM
» Brooks on the Bell Curve from Gene Expression
David Brooks comes out swinging with the best op-ed in the Times he's written to date, to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Bell Curve: In a New York Times Magazine cover story, reporter Jason DeParle depicts Charles Murray sitting... [Read More]
Tracked on Aug 18, 2004 12:10:54 AM
» Finland MTV3 on IQ? from Gene Expression
You may remember the recent hubbub over Tatu Vanhanen which Dobeln blogged on (see also Marginal Revolution on Vanhanen). The police were actually thinking of throwing him in jail for writing the un-PC book "IQ and the Wealth of Nations"... [Read More]
Tracked on Sep 7, 2004 7:08:23 PM
» Finland MTV3 on IQ? from Gene Expression
You may remember the recent hubbub over Tatu Vanhanen which Dobeln blogged on (see also Marginal Revolution on Vanhanen). The police were actually thinking of throwing him in jail for writing the un-PC book "IQ and the Wealth of Nations"... [Read More]
Tracked on Sep 7, 2004 7:10:51 PM
» Finland MTV3 on IQ? from Gene Expression
You may remember the recent hubbub over Tatu Vanhanen which Dobeln blogged on (see also Marginal Revolution on Vanhanen). The police were actually thinking of throwing him in jail for writing the un-PC book "IQ and the Wealth of Nations"... [Read More]
Tracked on Sep 7, 2004 7:11:34 PM
