Meisenberg, Gerhard (2019) Should Cognitive Differences Research Be Forbidden? [Preprint]
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Abstract
Some authors have proposed that research on cognitive differences is too dangerous to be allowed to proceed unchecked. From a consequentialist perspective, this contribution investigates the usually unstated assumptions about harms and benefits behind these proposals, finding that knowledge about intelligence differences is not always more harmful than alternative false beliefs. The main conclusion is that the proper questions to ask are not about the nature of the research, but about whether prevailing value systems can turn truthful knowledge about the world into benign outcomes. These value systems are the proper focus of action. Therefore, the proposal to suppress knowledge about cognitive ability differences must be based on the argument that people in modern societies are unable to apply such knowledge in benign ways, either because of universal limitations of human nature or because of specific features of modern societies.
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| Item Type: | Preprint | ||||||
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| Keywords: | Intelligence, consequentialism, values, epistocracy | ||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Cognitive Science General Issues > Ethical Issues General Issues > History of Science Case Studies General Issues > Science and Society General Issues > Values In Science |
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| Depositing User: | Dr. Gerhard Meisenberg | ||||||
| Date Deposited: | 24 Jan 2019 17:08 | ||||||
| Last Modified: | 24 Jan 2019 17:08 | ||||||
| Item ID: | 15659 | ||||||
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Cognitive Science General Issues > Ethical Issues General Issues > History of Science Case Studies General Issues > Science and Society General Issues > Values In Science |
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| Date: | 23 January 2019 | ||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/15659 |
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