> -----Original Message-----
>On Behalf Of Doug Henwood
> If IQ is important in
> determining life's outcomes and IQ is not acquired by merit, then one
> legitimate line of argument is that the government should intervene
> to make up for the unfairnesses of nature and capitalism.
Actually, Murray here does hit on a point here that the idea of "earning" income based on natural skill is an odd mantra of meritocratic society. To the extent we do talk of natural skills- whether atheletic, artistic, intelligence, etc. - my attitude is that someone has already been blessed once with whatever creative ability that it seems truly perverse to day they "deserve" a double reward in the form of material wealth for that ability. For utilitarian reasons, we may encourage the direction of that ability to use to the advantage of others through economic incentives, but that is only an idea of utility, not dessert.
Now, how natural any skill really is can be disputed, but whether the skill is an endowment of social opportunity or of genetics, the anti-meritocratic point remains.
-- Nathan Newman