An Analysis of Richard J. Herrnstein and Charles Murray's The Bell Curve : Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life

Published in 1994, The Bell Curve caused uproar. Herrnstein and Murray claim that intelligence is the key factor in determining success in life. They also claim that it is genetic - you either have it or you don't - and that some ethnic groups are more intelligent than others. Herrnstein and Murray argue that black Americans are one of the most disadvantaged groups in American society not because of unjust social and economic systems or a history of oppression. Statistically, they say, black Americans live impoverished lives simply because they lack the intelligence to advance themselves. Liberals raged against these ideas, while conservatives praised the authors for voicing important, if controversial, arguments. Book jacket.