IntLex 81, 07/09/2024. Charles Murray. The collapse of the social sciences in the West (in English)

Charles Murray. The collapse of the social sciences in the West (in English) Чарльз Мёрри. Крах социальных наук на Западе
Comments by: Igor Mandel, Mikhail Epstein, Michael Golubovsky, Victor Fet, Andrei Illarionov, and Gregory Yablonsky.
Over the last decade, America’s social sciences departments have abandoned the traditional telos of the university, the search for truth, in favor of social science put in the service of a Progressive political agenda. As a result, professors must be on guard against committing thought crimes, students clamor for protection against troubling ideas, codes limiting the free expression of ideas are routine, and ancient ideals of scholarly excellence and human virtue are derided and denounced. The result has been a form of intellectual corruption that has invaded every corner of the social sciences. Charles Murray will discuss the causes of these phenomena and prospects for the future.
Charles Murray, a prominent American political scientist affiliated with the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C., co-authored (with Richard Herrnstein) the 1994 book "The Bell Curve." This book, which explored the role of IQ in society, became a landmark publication, forever changing the landscape of social science in the US and worldwide. Since its release 30 years ago, "The Bell Curve" has sparked intense debate, with Murray becoming a highly admired and controversial figure. However, his contributions extend far beyond this single book. Dr. Murray has published a series of other highly influential books and articles, as partly listed below. This extensive body of work solidifies his position as one of the most significant social thinkers of our time.
Publications
Losing Ground: American Social Policy 1950-1980 (1984).
Human Accomplishment: The Pursuit of Excellence in the Arts and Sciences, 800 BC-1950 (2004)
Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960-2010 (2012).
By the People: Rebuilding Liberty Without Permission (2014)
Human Diversity: The Biology of Gender, Race, and Class (2020, attached)
Facing Reality: Two Truths about Race in America (2021, attached).
Jewish Genius

[@igoryudovich5496]

One of the best sociologists and political commentators alive today. Every word, every thought is worth its weight in gold

[@jeffsmith9420]

Right....

[@iefimov]

Thank you for bringing together this amazing panel!

[@club_IntLex]

Thanks for this comment, Igor, I tried my best :) - Igor

[@brianmeen2158]

This was an amazing discussion - Charles Murray is a brilliant man

[@LordMalice6d9]

It's not just the social sciences. It is most of the hard sciences as well.

[@GeneralFactCheck]

The hard sciences are still dominated by Males because no amount of DEI can make female brains comprehend physics and engineering. Biology is an exception though.

[@coreyworthingtonii9230]

Fantastic to see this sort of interview. I have always admired Charles Murray for being involved in publishing the Bell Curve as it’s a rare example of social science being willing to explore and establish genuinely inconvenient truths that go against the mainstream narrative. When I did my psychology degree from 2011-2014, I feel that in Australian universities at least, this was just before the ‘woke’ completely took over the universities. I did further study recently by completing a Masters in 2023 and felt that there was just so much focus on random ideological propaganda like the ‘Welcome to Country’ before every lecture and tutorial for example. More power to Mr Murray and may he live a long life!

[@aridgeman]

I loved Coming Apart but it was profoundly depressing. You have been at the cutting edge for long. Thank you for inspiring my book, Trapped by History: The Remaking of America and Death of the Middle Class.

[@YuryTomashevich]

Fascinating and informative presentation and discussion! Here is a follow-up question. At least some shifts to the left or right in social life are not isolated trends in time and/or location. For example, in 2024, there is a shift to the right not only in the USA but throughout the West. Is there research on factors leading to such shifts not only locally in time and location but globally and historically?

[@virginiahoffman4624]

I love Charles Murray; he is brilliant! I am as pessimistic as Dr Murray, the US ain’t what it used to be; far from it!

[@ritornelloandrefrain]

The title of this video is hyperbolic, probably to the point of absurdity. 'Crisis,' perhaps in some fields (e.g. replicability in social psychology), but claiming overall "collapse" is ridiculous & seems mostly motivated by Murray's right libertarian ideology rather than dispassionate analysis. Qualifying the claim of "collapse" with the phrase "...in many ways..." as Murray does in his intro seems to acknowledge this decided & extreme hyperbole.

[@brianmeen2158]

Hello there welcome to KZbin - I hope you enjoy your stay 😃

[@ritornelloandrefrain]

@@brianmeen2158 Your frivolousness & sycophancy do indeed seem par for the course that is YT.

[@Cant_find_good_Handle]

If you read any of his books, and then compared that to the average woke propaganda filled university textbook, it would not seem hyperbolic. I grew up in a white working class home, and now am part of the upper class. I found the book coming apart to be a stunningly well argued description of how the working class has collapsed and the upperclass has became so insulated from the rest of society. It basically described how Trump came to power, and why he has so intense a support base. It also makes it easier to understand why you have lifelong upperclass republicans switching to the democrats or being never Trump. But it also gives you an understanding of how you have working class voters who voted for Obama switch to Trump. People who don’t like Murray have usually not read any off his works, and are only mad because he pointed out there are likely average differences in IQ between ethnic groups. And that is very important to know if the government is putting into place policies that falsely assume that there are no differences. Assuming every group is the same on average genetically, and making it racist to point out that might not be true can lead to disaster. This is how you get all kinds of problems and failed social and government programs. And it’s why we have this woke stuff being pushed down on everyone with an intense and growing deep backlash resentment from the other half of the country.

[@evanfields6623]

Charles Murray is worth every grain of hate he gets. A scam artist who takes positions very welcomed by the rich and powerful. Service to power will suffice to guarantee rave reviews, massive exposure, huge sales and the other corollaries to service to power. Then, the authors pray that someone will condemn them - if not, they can invent it. At this point they can portray themselves as tortured victims of powerful forces - like Black mothers, the radicals who (as we know) run the universities, etc

[@Cant_find_good_Handle]

If you have read any of his books you would realize how crazy your statement sounds.

[@lilywhite2340]

Have you read any of his books? Which of his book describe him as “a scam artist”?

[@Cant_find_good_Handle]

@@lilywhite2340 You should read one of them. He wrote coming apart to be apolitical, and get across the main ideas from the bell curve without discussing racial issues. So the book primarily discusses the divide between white Rural American and the white upperclass. If your a sensitive leftist, and need to run to a safe space anytime someone says something you disagree with, then that book should be the least offensive for you.

[@jeffmoser4034]

In other words the only times you have become aware of Charles Murray is when other leftists told you he was a racist. You know nothing about his work.

[@lilywhite2340]

@@Cant_find_good_Handle you turned his point in a wrong direction, very sad… very sad you didn’t understand anything what he is trying to say.