The case against 'The Bell Curve.' - books that links IQ to race

Suppose they're right. If rising IQ levels are mainly genetic, then some evolutionary force must be propelling genus Homo in the direction of more DNA for brainpower. Modern society rewards education and mental prowess, so evolution may now be rewarding the same. (Genes do not change during life, but changing circumstances influence which genes are deemed fit and passed to offspring--this is the definition of selection pressure.) Thus if The Bell Curve is correct about intellect being mainly genetic, then some aspect of modern social circumstances and government policy must be encouraging or at least neutral to a fantastic wave of improvements in the human genetic endowment for IQ.

Yet The Bell Curve concludes by calling for drastic changes in social circumstances and government policy--the very forces which, in Herrnstein and Murray's analysis, seem to be causing natural selection to favor IQ as never before. The book ends up mired in such illogic either because its authors do not understand the science of genetics on which they pretend to premise their case, or have produced what should properly be seen as an unusually lengthy promotional brochure for a rather unattractive political package.

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