Darwin and Marx: Friends or Foes? with Freddie deBoer

On genetics and intelligence, America's broken education system, and finding common ground in uncommon places

On this week’s CSPI podcast, Freddie deBoer talks about his book “The Cult of Smart,” which argues that many problems in the education system and American society are due to the failure to grapple with the fixed nature of individual differences in intelligence. He and Richard discuss the effectiveness of charter schools vs. public schools, how the economic value of traits changes over time, if American despair is a spiritual or economic issue, and whether college degrees have peaked in value.

They also explore their differences over economic philosophy, which includes a discussion of why Freddie calls himself a Marxist, different kinds of Marxism, and how his philosophical outlook relates to his views on genetics and intelligence. Despite Richard being a capitalist, they find much common ground on policy specifics, including the need for less education and the acceptance of billionaires, markets and inequality. They also debate what Freddie's ideas about individual differences in intelligence imply – and don't imply – about differences between groups. Click here to listen to the podcast. Or watch at the YouTube link below:

Reminder: the deadline for the CSPI essay contest is March 31st, 2022. First prize is $5000, and winning essays will be shared on our blog and website.