A negative relationship between intelligence and fertility in the United States has been described repeatedly, but little is known about the mechanisms that are responsible for this effect. Using data from the NLSY79, we investigate this issue separately for Blacks, non-Hispanic Whites and Hispanics. The major findings are: (1) Differential fertility would reduce the average IQ of the American population by up to 1.2 points per generation in the absence of migration and environmental changes; (2) About 0.4 points of the effect is caused by selection within racial and ethnic groups, and the rest is caused by between-group selection; (3) Differential fertility by intelligence is greatest in Hispanics and smallest in non-Hispanic Whites; (4) The fertility-reducing effect of intelligence is greater in females than males; (5) The IQ-fertility relationship is far stronger for unmarried than married people, especially females; (5) High intelligence does not reduce the desire for children; (6) High intelligence does not reduce the likelihood of marriage; (7) Education is the principal mediator of the IQ effect for married women.
[Gerhard Meisenberg, Anubhav Kaul. Effects of Sex, Race, Ethnicity and Marital Status on the Relationship between Intelligence and Fertility. Mankind Quarterly. Washington: Spring 2010. Vol. 50, Iss. 3; pg. 151, 37 pgs.]
IQ dysgenics in the United States
Richard Hoste recently wrote about an analysis of NLSY data by Gerhard Meisenberg published in the journal Intelligence showing a negative relationship between IQ and realized fertility. Here's the abstract of a related paper from Meisenberg published in Mankind Quarterly:
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8 comments:
You can solve the problem of IQ dysgenics within the white American population by eliminating the welfare state and implementing a positive and voluntary eugenics program. You wouldn't have to sterilize anyone (which I regard as immoral).
Incidentally, Hoste wants to forcibly sterilize everyone with an IQ under 90.
http://hbdbooks.com/2009/12/answering-objections-to-eugenics/
"Incidentally, Hoste wants to forcibly sterilize everyone with an IQ under 90."
Far better to just offer them an incentive. Even a sum of $20k would be a bargain for society. Offer it to anyone 18 or older who brings in school standardized tests which indicate low IQ.
Just in case anyone doesn’t understand what I mean by “positive eugenics”:
“Eugenic policies have been conceptually divided into two categories. Positive eugenics is aimed at encouraging reproduction among the genetically advantaged … Negative eugenics is aimed at lowering fertility among the genetically disadvantaged.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics#Meanings_and_types
Above link in hyperlink form:
Eugenics
And it should be said that there are many other things to select for besides IQ.
Anonymous,
I also believe that forcible sterilization is unnecessary.
I don’t just think that forcible sterilization is unnecessary -- I think that it’s evil.
But in the relatively near future biotechnology will render classical eugenic measures like sterilization obsolete anyway. The only problem is that biotechnology will be at least as revolting as forcibly sterilizing large segments of our population.
Embryo selection consists of taking a number of eggs from a woman, fertilizing them with the sperm of a partner in vitro, testing each for desirable traits and inserting the best embryo. The second, third and fourth best can be saved for possible future use and the rest discarded. When Lynn’s book was written in 2001, it was possible to test for sex and thousands of genetic diseases.
In the twenty-first century it will become possible to test embryos for the presence of genes affecting numerous other characteristics, including late-onset diseases and disorders; intelligence; special cognitive abilities, such as mathematical, linguistic, and musical aptitudes; personality traits; athletic abilities; height; body build; and physical appearance. It will then be possible for couples to examine the genetic printouts of a number of embryos and select for implantation the ones they regard as having the most desirable genetic characteristics.
Link
Anonymous,
One reason I feel no need to moralize strongly about the evils of government-mandated eugenic sterilization is that such measures are in absolutely no danger of being implemented in America in the foreseeable future. I think moral outrage might be better directed at government expropriation of whites to subsidize the reproduction of non-whites.
No moral outrage from me in my four previous comments -- just mere musings about what I think is right, wrong, necessary and unnecessary in regards to eugenics.
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