From: S
Sent: Fri 12/16/2016 10:27 PM
To: Walter Block
Subject: Re: Question about Race, Laziness, IQ
Dr. Block,
Do you have any good sources you’d suggest regarding productivity and race? In lectures you sometimes bluntly state that blacks have a lower productivity level than other races…which might trigger some people to twist your words and make it sound like you think blacks are lazy. I’m curious as to if there has been any scholarly work done on this. S
Dear S:
I don’t think blacks are lazy. Well, not particularly lazier than anyone else. They are certainly not lazy on the basketball court, or running the sprints or the marathon. Hey, we’re all lazy, no? It’s a human condition. We could all do more than we do.
However, I think blacks have lower productivity on average in the marketplace. Evidence? Their wages are lower, on average, and, in equilibrium, wages equal (discounted marginal revenue) productivity. In the real world, wages are forever tending in the direction of equality with productivity, but reach it only in equilibrium.
Also, there is a wealth of empirical data supporting the fact that blacks have lower IQs than whites (and that Orientals have higher IQs than whites). You could start with this book on that contention:
Herrnstein, Richard J., and Murray, Charles. 1994. The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life, New York: The Free Press
Here are more readings on this subject (I don’t necessarily agree with any of this material, but they are all of interest):
Levin, Michael, 1996, “Why Race Matters: A Preview,” The Journal of Libertarian Studies, Vol. 12, No. 2, Fall, pp. 287-312;
Levin, Michael. 1982. “Is Racial Discrimination Special?,” Policy Review, Vol. 22, Fall, pp. 85-95
Levin, Michael. 1997. Why Race Matters, Westport, CT: Praeger
Strakon, Nichaolas. 1996. “ Sweeping Rand’s barnyard: Racism and individualism” The Last Ditch, Whole Number 14, October 28;
http://www.thornwalker.com/ditch/barnyard.htm
Rushton, Philippe, J. Race, Evolution, and Behavior: A Life History Perspective
http://www.charlesdarwinresearch.org/reb.html
Rushton, Philippe, J. 1997. Race, Evolution, and Behavior: A Life History Perspective. Second Unabridged Edition. New Brunswick, N.J. Transaction publishers
Rushton, Philippe, J. 2000. Race, Evolution, and Behavior: A Life History PerspectiveI. Second Abridged Edition; copyright, self published, by J. Phillippe Rushton
Dennett, Daniel C. 1996. Darwin’s dangerous idea: evolution and the meanings of life; Simon & Schuster
Rushton, Philippe, J. 1997. “The Mismeasures of Gould.” September 15; http://www.vdare.com/articles/the-mismeasures-of-gould
Sailer. Steve. 2011. “The Mismeasure of Science.” June 10;
http://www.vdare.com/posts/the-mismeasure-of-science
3:50 pm on March 1, 2019
