While I have my doubts about that theory, there is nothing deterministic about this "genetic determinism". It says nothing about human value or "superiority".
It basically says that in Ashkenazi Jewish gene pool there could be higher prevalence of genes that make carriers better than average in certain cognitive tasks (which happened to be valuable in XIX-XX centuries, but were in much lesser demand before, BTW).
It says nothing whatever about any particular Jew or non-Jew.
And even if we find a particular gene in a particular person, there is no determinism. Other genes, nurture/upbringing, and sheer luck would play just as important a role.
And of course IQ is not a measure of human "value". Frankly, I find _that_ idea repugnant...
"IQ isn't a measure of human value" is a message board scientific racism debate trope. When you can reconstruct an entire thread from the search bar, we're better off just leaving the discussion for the search bar.
We're now recapitulating essentially every thread about scientific racism that has ever occurred on any message board.
I would like to gently suggest we not do this. There are values HN holds dearer than "intellectual integrity", whatever that may mean to whoever writes it, and the most important of them is creating a space for curious conversation. As moderatin' Dan has said over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and over, and knitting, and knitting, and knitting, and knitting, ah-hah-hahhnd knitting, ah-hah-hahhnd knitting, ah-hah-hahhnd knitting, and knitting again: appeals to these kinds of polarizing arguments do nothing but threaten to burn down that space.
Steven Pinker suggested that scientists should voluntarily avoid research and discussion of such topics, not because it's not worthwhile, but because (given human history and social organization, and the fact that "race" can be used as a highly visible marker) it can provoke the worst in people, or be used by bad ones to justify their nasty attitude and behaviour.
I could subscribe to a version of this dictum, but it should apply to all participants and views, not just a particular theory someone prefers.
If there are rules (better spelled out) like "any discussion of a connection or lack thereof between genes, race, and cognitive abilities is not allowed on this site", fine with me. I can see the reason, and anyway it's fair.
Allowing some people to say that there is no connection, while suppressing ones of a different opinion (in a scientific context, mind you) is entirely different.
