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naraburns  nihil supernum  3yr ago (text post)   34257 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of October 10, 2022

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Well people disagree with that. That gets into the genetics versus heritable debate.

If natural IQ is the dominant factor in success and if IQ wasn’t heritable then there would be more failed sons. If an IQ 140 person was not heritable at all then on average their children would be IQ 105 and wouldn’t come close to parents achievements. Instead most believe in mean reversion and IQ 140 on average would be 130 on average and the sons would be accomplished on average but to a lesser degree.

Well that first part is a pretty crucial leg to the argument that you didn't mention. So in fact, we needn't necessarily see more failed sons is genetics had little to do with IQ, that's only true if one further concedes that there is such a thing as 'natural' IQ and that it is the dominant factor in success.

It seems likely traits are heritable. I don’t see evidence that it is false. While IQ is difficult to measure directly there are no doubt studies on height that show strong heritable in well fed populations.

I don’t see evidence that it is false

Well two can play at that game, I don't see evidence that it's true.

height that show strong heritable in well fed populations.

So? Just because one characteristic is heritable, that doesn't imply that they all are. Especially when comparing something so clear cut as 'height' to something so murky and vague as 'intelligence'.

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