Surnames offer depressing clues to extent of social mobility over generations

Re:Surnames offer depressing clues to extent of social mobil... by lepukowsky on Saturday November 09, 2013 @04:18AM (#6701171)

Do you feel this way from a societal, "consequentialist" point of view, meaning that doing such would necessarily maximize the quality of society on the whole? If so, what if there is an opportunity cost by which such a moral choice stimies your next cancer cure or breakthrough in clean energy?

Or perhaps, instead, do you feel that the overall effect on society is not as important as the individual's "right" to maximize his or her own opportunity? And if so, what about some other individual's right to choose the best available mate?

Or is there a third way?

Thank you for the response.

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Re:Surnames offer depressing clues to extent of social mobil... by ilaksh on Saturday November 09, 2013 @05:51AM (#6701308)

Although the authors of the article leave a bit of room for attributing a lack of upward mobility to circumstantial disadvantage, you seem to be operating from an almost eugenicist point-of-view with the assumption that position is almost entirely based on inherited ability.

Those studies don't prove anything but I believe that culture and circumstance play a large part in determining mobility.

The funny thing is that in ten or twenty years when artificial super-intelligence arrives, everyone, even rich intellectuals, will be, relatively speaking, mentally challenged, compared to the AIs. Please review this video to get a good idea of what I am talking about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_Juh7Xh_70 (Unless we augment our intelligence with implanted technology of some sort.)

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Re:Surnames offer depressing clues to extent of social mobil... by lepukowsky on Saturday November 09, 2013 @06:39AM (#6701370)

I at no point advocated eugenics and I actually find that a bit insulting. I quoted the article directly which stated (as I quote again for the space-cadets among us):

"Such competence is potentially heritable and is reinforced by the human tendency to mate with partners of similar traits and ability."

I simply alluded to (and then later asked) my respondent to what extent he or she is willing to defend equality over an individual's rights. Please do not misrepresent my words. Maybe you should try staying on topic before pointing me to some far-off, yet to be encountered political dilemma? I also pointed out that despite our modern acceptance of evolution, the “enlightened” liberal-democratic west is in absolute cognitive dissonance when it comes to reconciling such theories with the various inequalities that arise between peoples. Perhaps you can enlighten us all with your futuristic wizardry? I'm betting not...

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Re:Surnames offer depressing clues to extent of social mobil... by eli_gottlieb on Saturday November 09, 2013 @06:57AM (#6701389)

Oh boy, a neo-racist versus a Singulatarian.

Fight, fight, fight, fight!

(Admittedly, I've seen more evidence in favor of AI than in favor of eugenic/dysgenic hypotheses of social inequality.)

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