Intelligence and Society

Abstract

A chapter under this title would have been looked upon as unusual even a dozen or so years ago. However, in recent years there has been a tendency to look upon the social consequences and the “relevance” of scientific discoveries and theories, and to raise questions concerning these; as a consequence, it may be useful in this brief terminal chapter to consider some of the queries raised. There are three major reasons for raising problems of this kind. The first is the growing feeling that scientific discoveries have an important effect on society, and that society must watch and monitor these discoveries and their applications lest they lead to harmful and undesirable consequences. This feeling became particularly strong in the aftermath of the dropping of the first atomic bomb, and has been gaining strength ever since. The motives underlying this particular source of anxiety are undoubtedly wholly desirable, and in line with modern conceptions of a democratic society. There is no reason why scientists should be exempted from public scrutiny, and why they should not be asked to account in popular terms for their work and the results of this work. Salus publicae summum bonum. It used to be taken for granted that IQ testing had a small but on the whole beneficial influence on social conditions; this has been questioned, and it has been suggested that instead the influence of IQ testing has been to further disadvantage children already disadvantaged for reasons of class or race.

Science without conscience is but death of the soul. M. E. Montaigne