Memo from To: wr, H H Sherley
JOSHUA yt ERG

UY AUG 23 1973

AUG 20 1973

I have never suggested that Jensen should be
dismissed, nor that his books should be sup-
pressed! [ think Professor Jensen himself has
a rather clear idea of my position about his
work, and you might consult him directly whether

he thinks I am trying to suppress it.

I have criticized efforts to present the
problem of black disadvantage as if there were
reliable evidence that this generally has a
genetic basis. Unlike many of my colleagues

I do not say that it has been scientifically
determined that the differences in performance
are entirely environmental. So I have pointed
out all the problems of reaching reliable scien-
tific conclusions, and my opinion is that the
question is undecideable: no kind of evidence
that is likely to be produced in the near fu-
ture is going to shake anyone's convictions

or previous prejudices.

Then I have said that it is vicious to drag
such a vague and undecideable area of genetic
science into the crossfire of racial antagonism.
It will only bnerease the mttual hatred of
blacks and whites, and a scientist ought to be
very cautious about advertising his conclusions
if they are inherently so uncertain, and can
have such a harmful consequence. I do not
eriticize 1.Q. tests so much as the idea that
we understand the environmental factors that
can influence I.Q. or that we have done enough

 

to try to improve learning by those whose fallifil
h all.
€ a ? P *: L
on . t ROFESSOR ‘JOSHUA EDERBERG
ae Department of Genetics
7 @ $chool of Medicine
Stanford University
14-3 Stanford, California 94805