Intelligence: A Unifying Construct for the Social Sciences

Richard Lynn & Tatu Vanhanen

This book challenges social scientists to reconsider the theoretical foundations of the study of social phenomena. Until now social scientists have assumed that varying environmental factors explain social phenomena and that there cannot be any common explanatory factor behind various social phenomena. However, the empirical evidence presented in this book and covering nearly 200 countries indicates that many kinds of human conditions depend significantly on differences in average intelligence of nations (national IQs).

Differences in intelligence help to explain all kinds of phenotypic social phenomena as well as the persistence of social inequalities in the world. Environmental factors affecting such phenomena vary from case to case, but intelligence reflecting the evolved human diversity remains the same explanatory factor across all phenotypic social phenomena. This means that it provides a unifying theoretical construct for the social sciences. Unfortunately social scientists have not yet realized that most problems explored in social sciences are phenotypic phenomena depending on both genotypic and environmental factors and that intelligence is a powerful genotypic common explanatory factor.

The arguments and hypotheses presented in this book are tested and supported by extensive empirical evidence. Ultimately empirical evidence will decide the destiny of conflicting theoretical arguments.

Reviewers' comments


"This path-breaking book is a major contribution to the social sciences."
Professor Donald Templer, Alliant International University

"A brilliant exposition of the significance of intelligence for the social sciences"
Professor J.P.Rushton, University of Western Ontario

"Lynn and Vanhanen show the importance of IQ, measured intelligence, as an explanatory variable, not just for psychologists but for economists, sociologists and indeed anyone who wishes to understand the contemporary world free of the imprisoning blindfolds of political correctness."
Professor Christie Davies, University of Reading

"Lynn and Vanhanen's new book is an important development of their innovative work in establishing a new sub-discipline concerned with the documentation of national IQs and their explanatory power for the social sciences and evolutionary psychology."
Dr Raegan Murphy, University College, Cork

"Their new book is a further milestone in the development of their work on the explanatory value of national differences in IQs for a large number of economic, educational, cognitive, political, demographic, sociological and epidemiological phenomena."
Dr Satoshi Kanazawa, London School of Economics

"The central argument is persuasive and is supported by considerable evidence."
John M. Strate, Department of Political Science, Wayne State University

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