Intelligence: A Unifying Construct for the Social Sciences

by Richard Lynn, Tatu Vanhanen

This book challenges social scientists to reconsider the theoretical foundations of the study of social phenomena. Until now social scientists have assumed that varying environmental factors explain social phenomena and that there cannot be any common explanatory factor behind various social phenomena. However, the empirical evidence presented in this book and covering nearly 200 countries indicates that many kinds of human conditions depend significantly on differences in average intelligence of nations (national IQs).

Differences in intelligence help to explain all kinds of phenotypic social phenomena as well as the persistence of social inequalities in the world. Environmental factors affecting such phenomena vary from case to case, but intelligence reflecting the evolved human diversity remains the same explanatory factor across all phenotypic social phenomena. This means that it provides a unifying theoretical construct for the social sciences. Unfortunately social scientists have not yet realized that most problems explored in social sciences are phenotypic phenomena depending on both genotypic and environmental factors and that intelligence is a powerful genotypic common explanatory factor.

The arguments and hypotheses presented in this book are tested and supported by extensive empirical evidence. Ultimately empirical evidence will decide the destiny of conflicting theoretical arguments.

Genres: Science, Psychology, Nonfiction, Evolution

552 pages, Paperback

First published July 16, 2012

About the author

British Professor Emeritus of Psychology, who is known for his views on racial and ethnic differences.

Lynn was educated at Cambridge University. He has worked as lecturer in psychology at the University of Exeter, and as professor of psychology at the Economic and Social Research Institute, Dublin, and at the University of Ulster at Coleraine.

Most of his books are about the differences of IQ between different etnicities.

Reviews

[Gwern · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very wonky, of course, but still many interesting correlation; I excerpted parts I found interesting to a Google+ post.

[Adrián P. C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐Really Good.