Stanley Garn Quote - Liberty Quotes Blog

"If the aborigine drafted an IQ test, all of Western civilization would presumably flunk it."

by:	Stanley Garn (1922-2007) American human biologist, professor of anthropology
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Categories:	Education, Knowledge, Society, Truth
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Most definitely.... -- RobertSRQ
ok, I smiled -- Mike, Norwalk
Perhaps because the "aborigine" doesn't deal in absolutes and is more in touch with the world in a spiritual sense? -- J Carlton, Calgary
When Gandhi was asked what he thought of Western civilization, he replied, "I think it would be a good idea." ;-) -- E Archer, NYC 1
absolutely -- Anonymous, portland maine
Perhaps because the "aborigine" doesn't concern himself with images, materialism or societal standing. He relies on his wits, common sense and basic need for survival. Pull the plug on Western civilization and it would be the end. We couldn't think (or fight) ourselves out of a wet paper bag. -- kg, NE 3
"IF" is the operative statement in Garn's quote. The problem is that they couldn't draft anything. Only the Europeans captured their spoken word. There would be 400 different versions of their IQ test because each little tribe spoke its own dialect. Great society, huh? Last, if you told the Europeans that there would be an aboriginal IQ test, they would learn what needed to be learned and score 220+. -- Moishe Gonzales, HALF MOON BAY, CA 1
It is irrelevant what an aboriginal IQ test would look like, measure, or score. An IQ test is simply an indicator of how well someone can function in the society/civilization as it actually exists here and now. An aboriginal IQ test would measure how well someone might perform in some fantasy society if Western civilization did not exist. If one wants to do well in our society, learn how to speak English properly, learn how to perform basic mathematical operations, and learn how to reach a logical conclusion. -- Ken, Allyn, WA 2
I find it fascinating/saddening the philosophical positions that anthropologists generally take, especially against Western Civilization. Anthropologists have done much to destroy the foundations of philosophy with their ideological presumptions. As Kant would argue, the biggest problem people have in describing their world is in the failure of differentiating scientific or “pure reason” and the differentiation between space and time in “practical reason”. Anthropologists continually fail to do this. They fail to accept that when born, people don’t make their own language, but are raised, educated, and influenced by the language of the society in which they live—In essence, language makes the people. Concepts, ideas, holistic understandings, and perceptions are all skewed by how, when, and where a person was born into society and language. Even the most tenacious anthropologist cannot even consciously throw off the perception of the culture in which they were born—they will forever be subject to the language, culture, and society in which they were born to. Much of Garn’s statements are philosophical rot; because of his own sophist ideology he does not accept his own bias. -- Logan, Memphis, TN 1
Racist bilge. What an idiot. I wonder if he knows what IQ is. -- warren, olathe 1
probably...because I couldn't hit a kangaroo with a boomerang if I tried, don't know where the budgerigars hang out in order to hunt them, and only have a vague knowledge of their spiritual rituals. What they value for their life is wholly unsuited to life in 21st century America and there would be no point to me taking the test. What good would an above average score be to me trying to land a job in a decent corporation? -- Dana, Lincoln 1
true -- Anonymous
alright if you actually check out the quote and understand that it says if they did they as in more than one assuming the tribes worked together (yada yada) whatever it is basically saying there are different kinds of IQ the aborigine seems to be an example you could use frogs if you wanted who cares what you use you would still fail it quit looking too far into the quote -- Cameron, Rawrland 1
So, am I supposed to conclude that there is moral equivalency among the various cultures? There is not even moral equivalency between our culture today and what it would be if we got rid of the monopoly our government has on "education." -- Durham, Birmingham,AL 1

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