Aporia Podcast

Expanding upon last week's conversation about the race/IQ taboo, Bo Winegard and Noah Carl discuss the ethics of honesty about race differences in cognitive ability. They both agree that candor is better than silence or dishonesty. But they discuss alternative positions sympathetically before forwarding arguments against them.

Is there truly a veil of silence in academic circles when it comes to discussing race and IQ? Noah Carl and Bo Weingard unravel this question by dissecting the assertions of Jackson Jr. and Winston, who deny the existence of such a taboo. They argue controversies in intelligence research stem from poor scholarship rather than an aversion to the topic. Our spirited dialogue challenges their viewpoint, as we scrutinize the nature of academic critique and the undeniable presence of a taboo that, we believe, stifles open conversation on this polarizing subject. By examining our intelligence research controversies database, we aim to separate the wheat from the chaff, identifying where legitimate debate ends and where political or racist rhetoric begins.

Join Walter Veit, University of Reading scholar and pioneering author, as we navigate the intriguing and complex world of animal consciousness. Walter's expertise breathes new life into our understanding of how consciousness could have evolved across species, from the depths of the ocean with the octopus to the humble existence of the worm. Our conversation challenges long-standing human-centric views, uncovering the ethical ramifications of our interactions with animals, and sparking debate over the moral intricacies of artificial sentience, animal farming practices, and the future of lab-grown meat. Links to Dr. Veit's works: His website: https://walterveit.com/ His podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@DrWalterVeit His paper on clean meat: https://philarchive.org/rec/ANOFWB Can eugenics be defended?: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8321981/ Is humane slaughter possible?: https://philpapers.org/rec/BROIHA-7 Should parents genetically engineer their children?https://philarchive.org/archive/VEISPG Cognitive enhancement and inequality: https://philarchive.org/rec/VEICEA Mentioned in the episode: Do video game characters matter morally? https://reducing-suffering.org/do-video-game-characters-matter-morally/ The logic of the larder https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Replaceability_argument#:~:text=The%20replaceability%20argument%2C%20or%20the,would%20be%20brought%20into%20existence. Antechinus: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/why-a-little-mammal-has-so-much-sex-that-it-disintegrates Octopus teacher: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3s0LTDhqe5A

Professor Michael Huemer challenges the efficacy of activism and policy predictions, highlighting the dangers of societal experimentation. He discusses the limitations of experts in forecasting political shifts, proposing the idea of dividing the nation for better policy testing. The podcast compares societal changes to the delicate workings of a living organism, warning against random tampering without proper understanding.

Peter Hitchens discusses the role of grammar schools and academic selection in the UK's education system, emphasizing their importance for social mobility. He explores the decline of educational standards and challenges the perceived intellectual decline in society. The podcast also delves into the concept of being truly educated, the revolution against knowledge, and the dismissal of Jordan Peterson's work.

Prominent figures in intelligence research, Charles Murray and Helmuth Nyborg, discuss a variety of topics including intelligence research, nationalism, and the success of multi-ethnic societies.

Richard Haier, editor-in-chief of the journal Intelligence, dismantles the concept of intelligence, discussing its definition, controversy, and measurement using IQ testing. Haier explores the practicality of abandoning the term 'intelligence' while emphasizing the need for clear definitions. He also addresses criticism of IQ testing and the importance of measuring intelligence as a latent variable in psychology.

Matt Goodwin, renowned writer, pollster, and professor of politics, offers an insightful analysis of Britain's changing attitudes towards immigration. He explores the public's liberal shift in opinion, the influence of elites, lack of integration, housing and medical school places, conservatism battle, and the impact of Conservative immigration policies and Brexit. He also discusses the need for political reform and the challenges of cultural diversity and integration.

Independent researcher Jan Van De Beek discusses the consequences of immigration for public finances, tackling the methodology of calculating the fiscal effect, the impact of immigrants' education and origin, the welfare state's effects on immigration, reducing education and labor disparities, and migration patterns in European countries.

Topics discussed in the podcast include open borders and immigration, the fiscal effects of immigration, impact of migrants and immigration policies, assimilation and cultural differences in immigration, immigrants and IQ in first-world countries, cultural preservation and immigration considerations, immigration's impact on politics, and the benefits of open borders and immigration.