Raelian Politics or Religion and Politics among the Big Brains
Ever wonder what the Raelians' idea of the ideal political order is? No, I hadn't either. But if you are curious, the Geniocracy Project is apparently a distillation of Rael's political vision: "Geniocracy is then a political system who’s hierarchy revolved around intelligence. It is a system to enable a society’s most intelligent individuals to be in a position where their intelligence can best service humanity and also to place into governance the individuals most suited to the act of governing itself." In other words, replacing democracy with a global state ruled by a technocratic elite selected for on the basis of their intelligence. Charming that the Raelians assume that they would make it past the selection process for high IQs.
Of course, intelligence is already correlated with wealth and therefore power. The children of the affluent gain an intellectual advantage through better nutrition and health care, and a more stimulating social, educational and work environment. Conversely, there is some meritocratic advancement of the intellectually advantaged, and the intellectually deprived have fewer communication and organizational skills to advance their political interests.
Not that there is that much class mobility on the basis of intelligence. The children of the affluent still generally end up rich no matter how dull, and a smart poor kid may become shop steward but very rarely shop owner. And if you were a dullard, and all you ever managed to accomplish in life was to drive a couple of businesses into the ground but your daddy was rich and got elected president, why then you get to control the US military-industrial complex.
To the degree that high IQs do have political influence, however (which seems a diminishing prospect in the US) they have one clear salutory benefit: secularism. Numerous studies have shown a correlation between atheism and IQ. Higher education, separate from IQ, also reduces religiosity. And if you combine high IQ, higher education and a familiarity with science you get a strong atheist bent. One study of the US members of the National Academy of Sciences, for instance, found that 72% are outright atheists, 21% are agnostic and only 7% admit to belief in a personal God. Another study found that while 90% of Americans believe in God, only 40% of scientists and mathematicians do, only 30% of biologists and 20% of physicists do.
So this technocracy thing looks a little more attractive, if only because it would reduce the influence on politics of Raelians and Southern Baptists.
Of course, intelligence is already correlated with wealth and therefore power. The children of the affluent gain an intellectual advantage through better nutrition and health care, and a more stimulating social, educational and work environment. Conversely, there is some meritocratic advancement of the intellectually advantaged, and the intellectually deprived have fewer communication and organizational skills to advance their political interests.
Not that there is that much class mobility on the basis of intelligence. The children of the affluent still generally end up rich no matter how dull, and a smart poor kid may become shop steward but very rarely shop owner. And if you were a dullard, and all you ever managed to accomplish in life was to drive a couple of businesses into the ground but your daddy was rich and got elected president, why then you get to control the US military-industrial complex.
To the degree that high IQs do have political influence, however (which seems a diminishing prospect in the US) they have one clear salutory benefit: secularism. Numerous studies have shown a correlation between atheism and IQ. Higher education, separate from IQ, also reduces religiosity. And if you combine high IQ, higher education and a familiarity with science you get a strong atheist bent. One study of the US members of the National Academy of Sciences, for instance, found that 72% are outright atheists, 21% are agnostic and only 7% admit to belief in a personal God. Another study found that while 90% of Americans believe in God, only 40% of scientists and mathematicians do, only 30% of biologists and 20% of physicists do.
So this technocracy thing looks a little more attractive, if only because it would reduce the influence on politics of Raelians and Southern Baptists.
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