PSYC204 Justice, Race and Class

Ranking races and classes by intelligence or ‘merit’ from Plato to Jensen.

This paper is designed for those who are interested in problems that can be solved only by viewing psychology in the context of its relations with philosophy and other social sciences. These include the race and IQ debate, a proper theory of intelligence, how to defend humane ideals versus their opponents and the status of religious experience.

Paper title	Justice, Race and Class
Paper code	PSYC204
Subject	Psychology
EFTS	0.1500
Points	18 points
Teaching period	First Semester
Domestic Tuition Fees (NZD)	$1,080.30
International Tuition Fees (NZD)	$4,858.95

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Prerequisite

One of PSYC 111, PSYC 112, PHIL 103, POLS 101, SOCI 101

Schedule C

Arts and Music, Science

Notes

May not be credited together with PSYC 321 passed before 2005.

Contact

jim.flynn@otago.ac.nz

More information link

View more information on the Department of Psychology's website

Teaching staff

Emeritus Professor Jim Flynn

Paper Structure

Jensen and The Bell Curve are used to show that psychologists study race and class without the necessary philosophical sophistication. Aristotle, Huxley and Skinner are cited as thinkers who tried to collapse moral philosophy into psychology. An overriding theme is whether a combination of these two disciplines can provide a defence of humane ideals. This culminates in a critical analysis of Nietzsche's anti-humane ideals. Full details are available on Blackboard.

A research essay contributes 33.3% to the final grade; the remainder is based on a two-hour final exam.

This paper is based on five themes:

• Race and intelligence
• Class and merit
• Defending humane ideals
• Our minds and God
• Ethics and three psychologies

Teaching Arrangements

Three 50-minute sessions each week for a total of 39. Four are tutorials on preparation of essays, essay performance and reviews of the paper at mid-term and at the close. The remainder are lectures, but class participation introduces a tutorial element.

Textbooks

Required reading:
Deary, I. J. (2001). Intelligence. Oxford University Press.
Flynn, J. R. (2008). Where have all the liberals gone? Race, class and ideals in America. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Flynn, J. R. (2016). Does your family make you smarter? Nature, nurture, and human autonomy. Cambridge University Press.
Flynn, J. R. (2016). Homage to political philosophy: The good society from Plato to the present. Cambridge Scholars Press.
Herrnstein, R. J., & Murray, C. (1994). The Bell Curve. New York: Free Press.
Rushton, J. P. (1999). Race, evolution, and behavior (abridged ed.). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers.

Graduate Attributes Emphasised

Global perspective, Critical thinking.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.

Learning Outcomes

Students will develop the realisation that universities do not educate enough beyond narrow specialisations and that students must supplement that by wide reading and thinking.

^ Top of page

Ranking races and classes by intelligence or ‘merit’ from Plato to Jensen.

This paper is designed for those who are interested in problems that can be solved only by viewing psychology in the context of its relations with philosophy and other social sciences. These include the race and IQ debate, a proper theory of intelligence, how to defend humane ideals versus their opponents and the status of religious experience.

Paper title	Justice, Race and Class
Paper code	PSYC204
Subject	Psychology
EFTS	0.15
Points	18 points
Teaching period	First Semester
Domestic Tuition Fees	Tuition Fees for 2021 have not yet been set
International Tuition Fees	Tuition Fees for international students are elsewhere on this website.

^ Top of page

Prerequisite

One of PHIL 103, POLS 101, PSYC 111, PSYC 112, SOCI 101

Schedule C

Arts and Music, Science

Notes

May not be credited together with PSYC 321 passed before 2005.

Contact

jim.flynn@otago.ac.nz

More information link

View more information on the Department of Psychology's website

Teaching staff

Emeritus Professor Jim Flynn

Paper Structure

Jensen and The Bell Curve are used to show that psychologists study race and class without the necessary philosophical sophistication. Aristotle, Huxley and Skinner are cited as thinkers who tried to collapse moral philosophy into psychology. An overriding theme is whether a combination of these two disciplines can provide a defence of humane ideals. This culminates in a critical analysis of Nietzsche's anti-humane ideals. Full details are available on Blackboard.

A research essay contributes 33.3% to the final grade; the remainder is based on a two-hour final exam.

This paper is based on five themes:

• Race and intelligence
• Class and merit
• Defending humane ideals
• Our minds and God
• Ethics and three psychologies

Teaching Arrangements

Three 50-minute sessions each week for a total of 39. Four are tutorials on preparation of essays, essay performance and reviews of the paper at mid-term and at the close. The remainder are lectures, but class participation introduces a tutorial element.

Textbooks

Required reading:
Deary, I. J. (2001). Intelligence. Oxford University Press.
Flynn, J. R. (2008). Where have all the liberals gone? Race, class and ideals in America. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.
Flynn, J. R. (2016). Does your family make you smarter? Nature, nurture, and human autonomy. Cambridge University Press.
Flynn, J. R. (2016). Homage to political philosophy: The good society from Plato to the present. Cambridge Scholars Press.
Herrnstein, R. J., & Murray, C. (1994). The Bell Curve. New York: Free Press.
Rushton, J. P. (1999). Race, evolution, and behavior (abridged ed.). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers.

Graduate Attributes Emphasised

Global perspective, Critical thinking.
View more information about Otago's graduate attributes.

Learning Outcomes

Students will develop the realisation that universities do not educate enough beyond narrow specialisations and that students must supplement that by wide reading and thinking.

^ Top of page