{"id":2092528,"date":"2023-11-07T07:01:02","date_gmt":"2023-11-07T12:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thomas-sowells-new-book-wrecks-social-justice-warriors-favorite-fallacies-with-facts\/"},"modified":"2023-11-07T07:06:02","modified_gmt":"2023-11-07T12:06:02","slug":"thomas-sowells-new-book-wrecks-social-justice-warriors-favorite-fallacies-with-facts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thomas-sowells-new-book-wrecks-social-justice-warriors-favorite-fallacies-with-facts\/","title":{"rendered":"Thomas Sowell&#8217;s latest book demolishes SJWs&#8217; cherished fallacies with hard facts."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fthomas-sowells-new-book-wrecks-social-justice-warriors-favorite-fallacies-with-facts%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2092528&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div class=\"article-content\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>More \u2062than 100 years ago, \u200bSupreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell \u200dHolmes observed that popular catchwords can stunt critical thinking for 50 years or more. In his latest book, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Social-Justice-Fallacies-Thomas-Sowell\/dp\/1541603923\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Social Justice Fallacies<\/em><\/a>, revered \u2062economist and scholar Thomas Sowell confirms Holmes\u2019\u2063 observation by examining \u200dthe buzzwords\u200d that self-described\u200c \u201csocial justice\u201d proponents commonly use today. He shows that, despite many years \u2014 and in some cases even centuries or more \u2014 \u200dof evidence \u2064revealing these words to be nonsense, our media and cultural elites continue touting them\u2064 in utter \u200ddefiance of facts.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2>Social Justice\u2019s False Premise<\/h2>\n<p>Consider,\u200d for example, the very\u2064 term \u201csocial\u200c justice.\u201d It is predicated on the assumption that institutional discrimination is \u200dthe\u200c primary reason for differences among groups\u200c of people, whether\u200b among races, \u200deconomic classes, or even between the sexes. It assumes that were it not for such discrimination, all \u2063races, groups, and classes\u2063 would be equally represented in all human endeavors. In other words, human beings are\u2062 equal not only in their nature and\u200c capacities <em>but in their<\/em> <em>ability to<\/em> <em>develop those \u2064capacities<\/em>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2-long d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-789841143\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1379703300879-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-624bfad2526be07df397bc988b2ae018 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-624bfad2526be07df397bc988b2ae018\"><\/div>\n<p>As Sowell documents, however, this assumption is \u2062rarely\u2063 tested \u200bempirically. In fact, both\u2063 the historical record and everyday experience \u200bregularly contradict it. For example, not only have homogenous\u200b societies had unequal representation among groups of people\u2063 in various\u200d endeavors, but even twin siblings who are raised under the\u200c same\u2064 roof \u2063and by the same set of parents\u200b show vast differences in \u200baptitude, performance, and cognitive ability. This \u2063is\u200d because factors beyond both our knowledge\u2062 and our control\u200c \u2014 including factors that begin long before birth \u2014 heavily influence the development \u200bof human capabilities, including intelligence.<\/p>\n<h2>Culture and Competence<\/h2>\n<p>Some\u200d cultural traditions, for example, go back centuries or even millennia and \u2063thus continue to orient the developmental capacities \u200dof the people living in these cultures today. For instance, Sowell notes\u200b that \u200dthe Germans have been brewing beer\u200b for thousands of years, far longer than most other cultures. It\u2064 is, therefore, no surprise that they tend \u2064to be superior at\u2064 making beer nowadays. Likewise, \u2062for reasons that need not concern us here,\u2063 Jewish \u2062people have historically been significantly involved in matters of finance, where \u200dthey\u200b continue to excel to\u200d this day.<\/p>\n<p>It is simply folly, however, to believe\u200d that government\u200d decree could circumvent these longstanding cultural traditions without major catastrophe. Moreover, these \u201creciprocal inequalities,\u201d \u200das Sowell calls them, rarely amount to one group dominating all fields \u200cof human achievement. \u201cEven highly successful groups,\u201d he writes, \u201chave seldom been highly successful in all \u2064endeavors. Asian Americans and Jewish Americans \u200bare seldom found among the leading athletic stars or German \u200cAmericans among charismatic politicians.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Cultural\u200d Inequalities Aren\u2019t Fair<\/h2>\n<p>Of course, Sowell quickly adds that this does not mean that life is \u200dfair for \u200ball \u2062groups of people, much less\u2063 to all individuals,\u200b or that there is nothing that \u2063can be done about\u2064 injustices in the world. It does mean, however,\u2064 that we ought \u2063to be humble about \u200cthe limits of both our \u2063knowledge and our power to improve \u200dthings\u2062 rather than make\u200d them worse. As he points out, \u201cWe \u2063might agree that \u2018equal chances for all\u2019 would be desirable. But that in \u200cno way\u200d guarantees that we have either \u2062the knowledge or the power required to make \u2062that goal attainable, without ruinous sacrifices\u2063 of other desirable goals, ranging from freedom to survival.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-2836e586a55b09a50c3df3e8022e3f58 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-2836e586a55b09a50c3df3e8022e3f58\"><\/div>\n<p>Sowell\u200c spends several chapters documenting the \u200cnegative consequences that have followed from decades of government policymakers ignoring the limits of their knowledge. \u2062He describes the unintended consequences of minimum \u200cwage \u200dpolicies, tax legislation, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/supreme-court-may-hear-challenge-to-new-york-citys-rent-control-system\/\" title=\"Supreme Court may review challenge to NYC's rent control system.\">rent control laws<\/a>, and policies\u2062 related to\u2064 race and \u200bsex as well as to welfare, housing,\u2062 and education.<\/p>\n<h2>Affirmative Action and Welfare Backfire<\/h2>\n<p>Take, for instance, the issue of affirmative action in education. Sowell exposes the harm these policies have done first and foremost to the recipients themselves. Minority \u2063students who gain acceptance to elite schools for which they are not academically prepared often struggle \u200cto keep up with the rigorous pace and demanding workload. As a result, they end up either failing or \u200cdropping out.<\/p>\n<p>On \u200bthe other hand, Sowell highlights the\u2062 positive results that followed \u2063from the abolition of affirmative-action\u2063 policies in California (as decided by voters). \u201cThe number of black\u200c and\u2064 Hispanic students graduating\u2064 from the University of California system\u2063 as a whole rose by more than \u200da thousand students over\u200c a four-year span,\u201d he\u2064 observes. \u201cThere was also an increase of 63 percent in the number graduating in four years with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/baltimore-city-schools-a-failing-grade-wont-stop-students-from-moving-up\/\" title=\"Baltimore City Schools: A Failing Grade Won\u2019t Stop Students From Moving Up\">grade point average<\/a> of 3.5 or higher.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A similar trend followed the growth of the welfare \u2062state \u2062in the 1960s when both crime rates and \u200cout-of-wedlock birth\u200c rates exploded in minority communities. The two\u200d decades prior to the \u201960s, however, saw\u200d <em>declining<\/em> crimes. Out-of<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-long-road-and-significance-of-overturning-roe\/\" title=\"The Long Road And Significance Of Overturning Roe\">-wedlock birth rates<\/a> were <em>lower<\/em> among minority groups than among the \u200bmajority white population.\u2062 Nevertheless, laments Sowell, \u201cintellectual elites, politicians, activists and \u2018leaders\u2019 \u2014 who took \u2063credit for the black progress that supposedly all began in the early \u20631960s \u2014 \u200ctook no responsibility for\u2062 the painful retrogressions that\u2062 demonstrably did begin in the 1960s.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-adc2630c28424ddd6148b593db1c5c15 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-10\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-adc2630c28424ddd6148b593db1c5c15\"><\/div>\n<h2>Beware Man\u2019s Ignorance<\/h2>\n<p>All\u200c this history and much more is packed into this short but critical book, whose single most important insight may be how little we know about the lives of others. We must, therefore, be careful \u2062when\u2062 making \u200dpolicy decisions that \u2062have the\u200d potential to affect many people \u2014 and possibly even \u200dwhole societies.<\/p>\n<p>As Sowell warns, \u201cStupid people can create problems, but it \u200doften \u2064takes brilliant people \u2062to create a real catastrophe. They \u200bhave already done that enough times \u2014 and in enough different \u200bways \u2014 for us to reconsider,\u2064 before joining\u200c their latest \u200bstampedes, led \u200bby self-congratulatory elites, deaf\u200d to argument and immune to \u2063evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-eaece9b1e21948adfea3890b5e5974a9 fdrlst__b89e9-after-post-content\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-eaece9b1e21948adfea3890b5e5974a9\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">\n<\/div>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How did\u2063 the \u200badmission process change in the University of \u200bCalifornia System to increase \u200bthe number of minority students?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u2062 Despite dire predictions of \u2063inequality and racial discrimination, the \u200dnumber of minority students \u200dadmitted \u200cto \u2062the\u200d\u2062 \u200cUniversity of \u200dCalifornia\u200c \u200dSystem\u200c \u200cactually\u2064 \u200cincreased,\u201d he writes. Students were admitted based \u200don their academic merits, rather\u2063 than their race, and the result was a more diverse student body.<\/p>\n<p>Similarly, welfare policies that were intended \u200b\u200cto\u200d \u200calleviate \u200cpoverty have often had \u200dthe opposite effect. \u2063Sowell provides numerous examples\u200d of how welfare programs have \u200bdiscouraged \u200cwork, incentivized dependency, and trapped people in cycles of \u200dpoverty. He argues that by depriving individuals of the \u200copportunity to learn \u2063and develop the skills necessary for self-sufficiency, welfare programs have done more \u200bharm than good.<\/p>\n<h2>Conclusion: The Danger of Buzzwords<\/h2>\n<p>Sowell\u2019s book serves as a powerful indictment of the fallacies and empty rhetoric that continue to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/thomas-sowells-new-book-wrecks-social-justice-warriors-favorite-fallacies-with-facts\/\" title=\"Thomas Sowell's latest book demolishes SJWs' cherished fallacies with hard facts.\">dominate discussions\u2063 surrounding social justice<\/a>. By \u200dmeticulously examining the evidence and\u200b exposing the flaws \u2062in popular catchwords, he reminds us of the importance of critical thinking and evidence-based reasoning.<\/p>\n<p>While the pursuit\u2062 of\u200c social justice and equality is\u200b undoubtedly a noble\u200d goal, Sowell warns against the pitfalls of relying\u200d on buzzwords and unchecked assumptions. He emphasizes the need to confront the complexities and nuances \u200dof society, and\u2064 to recognize\u2064 that cultural, economic, and individual factors all play a role in shaping human outcomes.<\/p>\n<p>Sowell\u2019s \u2064work is\u200d a call to action for all \u200dthose\u2063 who \u200dare \u2063committed to creating\u200c a more\u200c just and equitable society. \u2064By questioning\u2064 long-held \u200bassumptions \u200band challenging prevailing narratives, we can foster\u2063 a greater understanding \u200bof\u200d the complexities of social issues, and work \u200btowards \u2064solutions that are grounded in evidence \u200dand reason.<\/p>\n<p>As Holmes \u200dobserved more than 100 years ago, we\u2064 must be \u200dwary of\u2062 the popular catchwords that have\u2064 the potential to\u2063 stunt critical\u200c thinking. Sowell\u2019s \u200b<em>Social Justice Fallacies<\/em>\u200b\u200b is an invaluable\u2063 resource for those who\u200c seek a deeper understanding, and a way forward, in the pursuit of social justice.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>For more information on\u2063 Thomas Sowell\u2019s book, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Social-Justice-Fallacies-Thomas-Sowell\/dp\/1541603923\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">click \u2063here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div \n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>that these buzzwords, such as &#8220;equality&#8221; and &#8220;diversity,&#8221; often mask flawed reasoning and harmful policies. Sowell argues that blindly accepting these catchphrases without critical analysis can hinder progress and perpetuate injustice. By debunking these fallacies, he encourages readers to engage in thoughtful and informed discussions about social issues.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1113,"featured_media":2092529,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2092528","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2092528","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1113"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2092528"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2092528\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2092529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2092528"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2092528"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2092528"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}