The Science and Politics of I.Q. - Leon J. Kamin

Leon J. Kamin challenges the claim that intelligence is largely inherited, examining the scientific evidence behind IQ testing and its use in social and political debates. He scrutinises classic intelligence research, including studies of separated twins, kinship correlations, adoption and prenatal influences, arguing that methodological weaknesses and unsupported assumptions have been presented as established facts. The book also traces the historical use of IQ scores in arguments for eugenic sterilisation and discriminatory immigration policies, questioning the idea that social inequality reflects fixed genetic differences. First published in 1974, this influential critique remains important to the history of intelligence research, behavioural genetics and the politics of scientific claims.