THE RACE THEORY' DEBUNKED

'Race, Culture and Intelligence'. Editors: Ken Richardson and David Spears. Assoclate Editor : Martin Richards. Penguln. 40p. 205 pages.

The American psychologist Arthur Jensen and his supporter in this country, H. J. Eysenck, claim that there are differences in intelligence between the races which can be traced to genetic superiority—for instance, of American whites over American blacks.

These statements are scientifically invalid. But that is not the point. The purpose behind them is not scientific but political. the 'scientific debate» Prolong • Academics who now debate accurately, 'pseudo-scientific') are therefore playing Eysenck's game.

The dispute is only meaningful seen as a reflection of the class is why a similar dispute raged during the years of crisis preceding the victory of Hitler in Germany and why the 'theories' of genetic superiority have always flourished in S Africa, Rhodesia and southern states America.

Throughout its history, imperialism has fostered and encouraged such ideas.

The question is therefore not simply 'internal to academic life' as Liam Hudson claims in this book.

It is, of course, useful to have a concentrated refutation of Jensenism', even if here and there the ideas of others are presented in new guise.

But the question arises of whether there is any value in prolonging the Eysenck controversy in this form. It provides a field-day for more or less garrulous academics. But once you've established that IQ tests measure the ability to do IQ tests and nothing else, that so-called cross-cultural' tests are useless, and that psychometrics (the 'science' of testing) produces the rationalization that failures ought to fail, there seems little point in re-establishing it over and over again.

To overdo this is to lend credence to the claim that the stance adopted by Eysenck for political and social reasons is a matter for serious scientific This was certainly done last summer when at least one of these contributors-John Rexappeared in a television 'scientific' The significance of Eysenck's theories is that they can be used to persuade oppressed peoples to accept their oppression or to justify direct force against them when they don't.

Whether Eysenck is aware of this or not doesn't matter. To present this as a never-ending debate between the reactionary and 'progressive' (liberal) wings of the academic world serves to hide its ultimate practical use.

From this standpoint it is worth nothing that at least two of the contributors to this book —John Daniels and John Rexare refugees from political activity and implaccable opponents of Marxism.

Theories which can be used to justify racialism, cannot be refuted purely in the academic field. Nobody is going to be convinced by the argument one way or the other.

Certainly, no racialist has ever been dissuaded from his activities by superior arguments. Marx pointed out long. ago that in changing the world around him, through practice, man changes himself.

It is in this way that 'the educator must himself be educated'. (Marx: 'Theses on Feurbach'.)

Capitalism seeks to present 'education' l as a never-ending torrent of talk within the confines of the school room and the lecture hall.

Revolutionaries must drag out and change people practice.

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