Ashkenazi Jewish intelligence
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Ashkenazi Jewish intelligence, often referred to as "Jewish genius",[1][2] is the theory that Ashkenazi Jews tend to have a higher intelligence than other ethnic groups.
Background[edit]
Many who argue for Jewish intelligence have pointed out that more than 20% of Nobel Laureates across all disciplines and nationalities are Jewish.[3][4]
Increased IQ[edit]
A 2004 paper by self-professed "scientific racist" Richard Lynn found that American Jews obtained significantly higher IQ scores than the average white gentile, and even higher scores compared to black peoples.[5] A 2005 paper by three authors who have been linked to theories described as "scientific racism,"[6] "Natural History of Ashkenazi Intelligence"[7] proposed that Ashkenazi Jews as a group inherit higher verbal and mathematical intelligence the basis of inherited diseases and the peculiar economic situation of Ashkenazi Jews in the Middle Ages. This paper suggested that the average IQ score of Ashkenazi Jews fall in a range of 108–115 under some studies, which would be significantly higher than that of any other ethnic group in the world.[8][9]
Bret Stephens cited the study in an NYTimes op-ed, suggesting that Jewish genius is innate to culture instead of biology, which led to an editor's note apologizing for even using the study.[10][3]
Sociological explanations[edit]
Bret Stephens has opined in the NYTimes that the intellectual rigor of religious studies, especially in the context of constant upheaval, has allowed intellectual flexibility.[10] Malcolm Gladwell similarly argues in Outliers that the rigorous Talmud schools may foster intellectualism and perseverance in Jewish students.[11]
Criticism[edit]
Some have argued that the elevation of Jewish intelligence based on both biology or sociology may feed into model minority myths that harm both Jewish and black peoples.[3] Sander Gilman has argued that racializing intelligence is particularly problematic for Jews as it may feed into multiple antisemitic tropes and other categorization of a vast group of people.[12]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Murray, Charles (2007-04-01). "Jewish Genius". Commentary. Archived from the original on 2018-10-27. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
- ^ Valk, Jonathan (2015-06-14). "Is there really such a thing as Jewish genius?". haaretz.com. Archived from the original on 2018-11-15. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
- ^ a b c Yglesias, Matthew (2019-12-30). "The controversy over Bret Stephens's Jewish genius column, explained". Vox. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
- ^ Efron, Noah (21 October 2013). "The Real Reason Why Jews Win So Many Nobel Prizes". Haaretz.
- ^ Lynn, Richard (2004-01-01). "The intelligence of American Jews". Personality and Individual Differences. 36 (1): 201–206. doi:10.1016/S0191-8869(03)00079-5. ISSN 0191-8869.
- ^ "Henry Harpending". Southern Poverty Law Center. Archived from the original on 2018-09-25. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
- ^ Cochran, Gregory; Hardy, Jason; Harpending, Henry (September 2006). "Natural History of Ashkenazi intelligence". Journal of Biosocial Science. 38 (5): 659–693. doi:10.1017/S0021932005027069. ISSN 1469-7599. PMID 16867211. Archived from the original on 2018-08-21.
- ^ Lynn, Richard; Longley, David (2006-11-01). "On the high intelligence and cognitive achievements of Jews in Britain". Intelligence. 34 (6): 541–547. doi:10.1016/j.intell.2006.03.011. ISSN 0160-2896. Archived from the original on 2018-09-10.
- ^ "Study: Ashkenazi Jews Smartest on Earth, Partly Due to Diseases". Israel National News. Archived from the original on 2018-10-08. Retrieved 2024-04-22.
- ^ a b Stephens, Bret (2019-12-28). "Opinion | The Secrets of Jewish Genius". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
- ^ Gladwell, Malcolm (2008). Outliers: the story of success (1st ed.). New York: Little, Brown and Co. ISBN 978-0-316-01792-3.
- ^ Gilman, Sander L. (2008). "Are Jews Smarter Than Everyone Else?". Mens Sana Monographs. 6 (1): 41–47. doi:10.4103/0973-1229.34526 (inactive 2024-07-14). ISSN 0973-1229. PMC 3190562. PMID 22013349.
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