John McWhorter – Unsettling the "Settled Questions"

The “common sense” of the Woke Left sees so many issues, from the historical effects of redlining to the relationship between race and IQ, as matters that no longer require discussion. “Redlining is responsible for present-day racial wealth disparities, period. There is no relationship between race and IQ, period. End of discussion.”

But the discussion is not over, these matters and many others are not settled. Treating them as such just papers over matters of vital concern that require serious thinking. John and I have in some sense made it our mission to unsettle these so-called settled questions. And in the course of doing it, we’ve unsettled the people that consider the questions settled as well. We talk a bit about in this week’s conversation.

I begin by talking to John about reaching what may be the current high-water mark of his fame: He was a clue on a recent episode of Jeopardy. There are perhaps more data-driven ways of understanding how fame works, but if the writers on Jeopardy know who you are, you must be exerting some kind of influence on the culture. We then move on to discuss attempts by activists to change math curricula in order to (these activists claims) make them more accommodating to black students. Some argue that these changes don’t alter the fundamental character of math education, but John strongly disagrees. Which is not to say that considerations of diversity have no place in the sciences. Graduate programs in technical fields could take more risks in who they admit to their programs without lowering their overall standards. Doing so might net them the next Roland Fryer (or even the next Glenn Loury). We then return to the small screen. John talks about going on The View to promote Woke Racism, and I talk about debating Michael Eric Dyson on Bill Maher’s Real Time. With the Jussie Smollett verdict in, we reflect on the bizarre story the Empire actor tried to sell and his maybe even more bizarre refusal to admit he lied. We then go on to discuss America’s “black-white” racial binary. With so many people of so many different backgrounds, ethnicities, and colors now populating the country, does this mindset still make sense? And finally, we ask why cultural explanations for racial disparities are still taboo for so many people.

As always, this was a stimulating, deep, and fun conversation with my good friend. I hope you enjoy it!

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0:00 This regular TGS guest was recently a clue on Jeopardy

2:23 Is race-conscious math education as radical as it sounds?

14:17 Why diversity, when done right, can be an asset

19:55 John on The View, Glenn on Bill Maher

26:34 The strange case of Jussie Smollett

43:42 Does the American “white-black” binary make sense anymore?

49:39 If America is irredeemably racist, why do so many non-white people immigrate here?

58:18 What’s the matter with “culture”?

Links and Readings

John’s appearance on Nathan Robinson’s podcast

Stephon Alexander’s Fear of a Black Universe: An Outsider’s Guide to the Future of Physics

David Austen-Smith and Roland Fryer, “An Economic Analysis of ‘Acting White’”

Andrew Sullivan, “The Woke: On the Wrong Side of History”

Matt Taibbi, “The Red-Pilling of Loudon County, Virginia”

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