IQ, Race, and PC

ONE hallmark of modern civil society is its commitment to a free exchange of ideas and viewpoints. Scholars often depend upon unfettered access to colleagues’ research. The suppression of peer-reviewed material not only restricts the dissemination of scientific findings, but also jeopardizes the academic tradition of free inquiry. Such constraints on open debate threaten the autonomy of free institutions.

Reputable publishers serve as gatekeepers by determining which manuscripts are worthy of publication. The decision to publish a manuscript involves several factors: the author’s credibility, the validity of the specific work in question, the book’s likely marketability and profitability, and so on. Another critical factor, however, can be the pressure of political correctness. Publishers, fearful of losing access to distributors and wholesalers-and, through them, to the indispensable booksellers-are reluctant to issue books that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy of social taboos. This places politically correct constraints on what major houses consider “safe” to publish.

KL

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Kevin Lamb

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ONE hallmark of modern civil society is its commitment to a free exchange of ideas and viewpoints. Scholars often depend upon unfettered access to colleagues’ research. The suppression of peer-reviewed material not only restricts the dissemination of scientific findings, but also jeopardizes the academic tradition of free inquiry. Such constraints on open debate threaten the autonomy of free institutions.

Reputable publishers serve as gatekeepers by determining which manuscripts are worthy of publication. The decision to publish a manuscript involves several factors: the author’s credibility, the validity of the specific work in question, the book’s likely marketability and profitability, and so on. Another critical factor, however, can be the pressure of political correctness. Publishers, fearful of losing access to distributors and wholesalers-and, through them, to the indispensable booksellers-are reluctant to issue books that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy of social taboos. This places politically correct constraints on what major houses consider “safe” to publish.