So here's the debate Sam had with that editor who wrote the article I linked to in the OP (which was part of an exchange between them that happened after Sam and Murray had their discussion). Mind you, Sam refused to have a debate/discussion with actual intelligence researchers who critiqued that convo with Murray and instead had one with this Ezra dude, who is just a journalist. Nonetheless, it still struck me how obtuse Sam was...He truly doesn't get why
any of this is problematic and he actually dismisses the need to contextualize this "data" re African Americans in their history in the US...
If that's too long for you, I found this short critique of him on that discussion here: It highlights the things he was saying that had me shaking my head.
If you are not interested in watching these vids, I'll summarize the probs with what he says below.
What was most telling was his flippant dismissal of an interpretation by Flynn (as quoted by Ezra) that its just as likely, based on the data, that the 10 point gap (though its actually 9) is because of a 12 point environmental factor verses a -2 point genetic factor (ie a 2 point AA genetic advantage over the Whites in AA) as it is that there is 0 genetic factor or a White genetic advantage. The point was to illustrate that the conclusions Sam and Murray are drawing from the data is unwarranted. The only thing we know is that environmental factors are huge but we have no idea what (if any) genetic factor is involved in this gap.
What does Sam Harris do? He says "Anything is possible but we have to talk about what is
plausible..."
Imagine that...this dude is saying (without a scintilla of evidence) that:
Assumption one: There is definitely a genetic factor in the gap. Whether 1, 2, or 10, doesn't matter. There just
is.
-How does he know? Well, he says, genetics and environment play a role in everything, so they surely play a role here too, no?
If you follow Alt-right circle jerks online you'll find this repeated over and over again, from Reddit to Youtube. They will constantly cite twin studies as proof of "40% to 80%" heritability in IQ. They then leap from this "heritability" to "genetic", so they treat those two, as Murray himself does, as if they are interchangeable.
Well, even if you grant that IQ is 80% influenced by genetics, for the sake of argument, that is NOT the same thing as saying "the IQ
difference btw group A and B is 80% due to genetics". This is why most of us do not think South Koreans being on average 3 inches taller than North Koreans is because they have developed a genetic difference in height with their brothers over the last several decades. Is height influenced greatly by both genetics and environment? Sure! But this
difference in height between the North and South is most surely 100% environmental.
Sam Harris the genius doesn't seem to get this distinction.
Assumption two: Having said (without evidence) that there is definitely a genetic component here, it can only be White>Black, never the other way around.
....And then he's shocked and offended that people find these racist and unfounded, whether or not he is doing it unwittingly or not