It's been a few months now, but what are everyone's thoughts on the Sam Harris vs Ezra Klein intellectual wrestling match?
My position leans toward Klein's since, while pure scientific evidence is unavoidable, examining it without any kind of moral proclivities ignores how that evidence will be interpreted and, ultimately, how it will be utilized. Scientific findings in a moral vacuum is how we wind up with atomic bombs, eugenics, and other not-great applications.
I've long held that data sets are separate and distinct from the conclusions drawn from them. In listening to this discussion, it appears (to me at least) that Klein is arguing less from an intellectual (or data-driven) point of view, than is Harris. In fact, Klein's assertions rely less on statistics, evidence and analysis, in my opinion, then they do on emotional (third rail) concerns.
That is my opinion, and I could be wrong, but we miss the point when pondering which 'combatant' should be declared the winner, don't we? After all, what are the data backing Charles Murray's research? What are the strengths and weaknesses of his conclusions? And, what further investigation and data collection is warranted here? Some have argued that the very topic does not warrant any additional research, but how scientific is this assertion? Science is, after all, color blind.
Finally, Harris is attempting to get at a more basic question, namely: What is happening on college campuses in the U.S. where invitations to speak and even honorary degrees have been rescinded, based entirely on the reaction to campaigns, which often involve ad hominem attacks by an outspoken minority of students? What is actually happening on college campuses, particularly those which once championed the First Amendment?