Summary
Highlights
Hannah Spear introduces Professor Edward Dutton, an anthropologist known for his work on religion, culture, and human evolution, and his controversial views on intelligence. Dutton's work explores the genetic underpinnings of societal trends. The conversation begins by linking current events, specifically protests and activist behavior, to his theories on Cluster B disorders.
Dutton explains his academic journey, starting with theology, fundamentalism, and then shifting to genetics after recognizing the limitations of purely social science explanations. He became fascinated by the genetic differences between populations, illustrated by his personal experiences with Norwegian and Finnish cultures, and how this led him to study intelligence and the heritability of personality traits.
Dutton introduces his book, 'Woke Eugenics,' which posits that 'wokeness' is a selection event. He explains that historically, harsh Darwinian selection pressures maintained a high level of genetic fitness, selecting for intelligence, physical health, and traits like religiosity and conservatism. With the collapse of these pressures, he argues, there's been a buildup of mutations, leading to a 'crumbling genome' and declining intelligence.
Dutton clarifies the Flynn Effect, distinguishing between IQ score increases in specialized abilities (like pattern spotting) and a decline in actual general intelligence (G-factor). He states that societies are becoming less intelligent overall, losing about one IQ point per decade, particularly on the more genetic components of IQ tests, as evidenced by genetic data from Iceland showing a decline in alleles associated with educational attainment.
Dutton further elaborates on 'wokeness' as a maladaptive cultural force. He claims that left-wing ideology, atheism, and 'woke' sentiments are correlated with genetic maladaptations, mental illness, physical illness, and markers of mutation (e.g., lower facial symmetry in left-wing women). He argues that 'woke' culture promotes behaviors that reduce fertility and genetic interest, effectively acting as a death cult for those susceptible to its influence.
According to Dutton, only two groups will resist the 'woke' maladaptive path: those with naturally lower intelligence who instinctively reproduce, and among the more intelligent, those who are religious and conservative. He presents data suggesting that conservatism and religiosity are strong predictors of fertility, even after controlling for intelligence, and that these groups will become the 'surviving population,' leading to a healthier society in the long run.
Dutton introduces the concept of a 'neo-Byzantium,' where civilization shrinks and holds out in a diminished but genetically healthier form. He suggests that 'wokeism' accelerates this process by alienating conservative individuals, pushing them to form their own parallel societies and institutions (like Substack and 'paracademia'). This acceleration, he argues, is crucial for preserving genetic health before complete societal collapse.