Nathan Cofnas is a philosopher and postdoctoral researcher at Ghent University, known for controversial writings arguing that racial disparities in high-status professions reflect group differences in ability rather than discrimination. Views that led Cambridge’s Emmanuel College to end its association with him.
This year he published Substack allegations that Cambridge sociologist Jason Arday had plagiarised his PhD thesis. Arday resigned soon after and was later found dead. Ghent has since suspended Cofnas, investigating him for alleged discrimination against Arday.
He is coming on the show later this morning to discuss Jason Arday, what has happened to him over the last several weeks and his paper that some have argued is highly controversial.
Comment your questions below.
There appear to be significant differences between the IQ means of various racial groups indicating Ashkenazi Jews & East Asians at the top, Europeans in the middle and blacks at the bottom.
However whilst it is clear IQ is measuring something, arguably it's not all that clear what it is measuring. For example Europeans 100 years ago would have scored an average IQ of 70 on today's tests which falls into the 'mentally disabled' category and well below the acceptable minimum to join the US Army.
Clearly my great grandad and everyone he knew were not morons and the continual re-calibration of IQ tests has been described by the Flynn effect.
What does this mean for the racially different means recorded for IQ tests?
What can be learnt from the reaction to your role in the Arday affair about the rising crisis of antisemitism building in academia and the double standards prevalent towards Jews compared to other minorities?