How Real is Race? Dr. Nathan Cofnas on DarkHorse
Summary
Host Jason Rosenfeld interviews philosopher Nathan Knaus, who defended his controversial views on race realism and moral anti-realism following the Jason Richwine scandal. They debate the scientific validity of racial categories, the evolutionary origins of moral norms like the incest taboo, and the tension between meritocracy and diversity initiatives. The discussion explores whether moral truths are objective or merely adaptive social constructs.
Topics discussed
Introduction and guest background
Defining race realism and biological facts
The euphemism treadmill and language
Moral realism and evolutionary ethics
The Westermarck effect and incest taboo
Moral arbitrariness and universal values
Meritocracy versus inclusion
Hereditarianism and IQ differences
Selection pressures on intelligence
Heritability misconceptions and environment
IQ tests and population history
Cultural inheritance and cognitive traits
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