Over at www.econlib.org, I have written a review of Thomas Leonard’s book on the early progressive economists. My essay is called Dismal Race “scientists.”
4 thoughts on “Book Review”
You provide a fair and accurate summary of the book without inserting any stance, which is commendable. The trouble with publishing such a book these days is that the contemporary structure of normative taboos makes it impossible to discuss the topic in a frank, neutral, and objective fashion.
At any rate, modern progressives of course disown all that old eugenics stuff and say there’s been too much water under the bridge since then to make any guilt by association stink stick (and same goes for Stalin, Mao, etc.)
But meanwhile all non-progressives always are direct descendants of slavers, confederates, Jim crowers, and nazis, and cannot ever purge that blood guilt.
What they could do is wonder if the same mindset that got them to do something they now disown is making them do things now that they will disown in the future.
The impression I got from the Woodrow Wilson biography I read was that power was the dominant desire of progressives. In order to achieve power they had to convince themselves of several things: their own brilliance, their objective correctness, etc. It’s much easier to seize power when you zealously believe your seizing power would be food the good of the world, true and honest cynics have a harder time.
One could look at these people, who did frequently flip flop on issues that five minutes ago they believed had all the force of science behind them, and think they are charlatans. That isn’t quite right though. In one moment they truly believed X. In another moment they truly believed Y.
What they were most committed to was themselves and striving. Their very understanding of the world would shift based on what the subconscious told them was the zeitgeist at that moment.
All of those people who progressives disown today are dead. What do they care who disowns them, they are rotting in the ground.
I detect a lot of this attitude in all the various DC think tank groups, including libertarians. Northern Virginia houses don’t pay for themselves, and tenure as an academic is a pretty sweet gig. Why not truly believe in the things that bring in the goods for you. That’s how the human mind works.
The Progressive eugenicists were monstrous in their desire for the state to control private lives. However, the critique of them is based on modern anti-racist theory which holds to an untenable view of the absolute equality of ethnic and racial groups. In fact groups do differ in abilities and endowments. Where the Progressives went wrong was in assuming this somehow required or licensed the state to organize a direct or indirect genocide.
You provide a fair and accurate summary of the book without inserting any stance, which is commendable. The trouble with publishing such a book these days is that the contemporary structure of normative taboos makes it impossible to discuss the topic in a frank, neutral, and objective fashion.
At any rate, modern progressives of course disown all that old eugenics stuff and say there’s been too much water under the bridge since then to make any guilt by association stink stick (and same goes for Stalin, Mao, etc.)
But meanwhile all non-progressives always are direct descendants of slavers, confederates, Jim crowers, and nazis, and cannot ever purge that blood guilt.
What they could do is wonder if the same mindset that got them to do something they now disown is making them do things now that they will disown in the future.
The impression I got from the Woodrow Wilson biography I read was that power was the dominant desire of progressives. In order to achieve power they had to convince themselves of several things: their own brilliance, their objective correctness, etc. It’s much easier to seize power when you zealously believe your seizing power would be food the good of the world, true and honest cynics have a harder time.
One could look at these people, who did frequently flip flop on issues that five minutes ago they believed had all the force of science behind them, and think they are charlatans. That isn’t quite right though. In one moment they truly believed X. In another moment they truly believed Y.
What they were most committed to was themselves and striving. Their very understanding of the world would shift based on what the subconscious told them was the zeitgeist at that moment.
All of those people who progressives disown today are dead. What do they care who disowns them, they are rotting in the ground.
I detect a lot of this attitude in all the various DC think tank groups, including libertarians. Northern Virginia houses don’t pay for themselves, and tenure as an academic is a pretty sweet gig. Why not truly believe in the things that bring in the goods for you. That’s how the human mind works.
The Progressive eugenicists were monstrous in their desire for the state to control private lives. However, the critique of them is based on modern anti-racist theory which holds to an untenable view of the absolute equality of ethnic and racial groups. In fact groups do differ in abilities and endowments. Where the Progressives went wrong was in assuming this somehow required or licensed the state to organize a direct or indirect genocide.