Cognitive elite

The cognitive elite of a society, according to Richard J. Herrnstein and Charles Murray, are those having higher intelligence levels and thus better prospects for success in life. The development of a cognitive elite during the 20th century is presented in their 1994 book The Bell Curve. In this book, Herrnstein and Murray propose that the cognitive elite has been produced by a more technological society which offers enough high skill jobs for those with a higher intelligence to fill. They also propose that by removing race, gender or class as criteria the main criteria of success in academic and professional life is becoming primarily based on cognitive ability. In addition, a study published in 2013 by Jonathan Wai supports the claim that higher intelligence levels lead to success in life. He concluded that the elite individuals in society, specifically in American society, like CEOs, billionaires, judges, Senate and House members, "are drawn largely from the intellectually talented, with many of them in the top 1% of education and ability".[1]

Educational psychologist Linda Gottfredson wrote:

Differences in intelligence matter. For members of the cognitive elite to maintain otherwise is like the rich arguing that money does not matter. Differences in g affect the lives of individuals and families. They help shape the social order and limit our ability to reshape it.[2]

Criticism

The book has met with criticism, as has the cognitive elite concept.[3] It has been claimed that the case has been "wildly exaggerated",[4] and it is based on an intelligence measure that is also criticized.

Friedrich Nietzsche's Superman (Ubermensch)

Superman, or the superior man, is the product of when a man achieves self-mastery by forgoing traditional Christian "herd mentality" and ushering in his own set of values. This process is not through any form of evolution.[5]

Nietzsche considers the traits of a superman to be one who is able to break free from the moral code set in place by churches and live by their own moral code. This gives them the ability to have a deeper sense of morality and a sense of purpose and being. They are a person who will have a set of values not influenced by those around them, but solely focused on improving the society in which they live. Their sole purpose is to the betterment of humanity, and they would give all they have and their lives to see this happen. A superman intends to help others break free from the moral binds that are restricting them to gain enlightenment and power.[6]

Background

Nietzsche believed in the idea that God was dead and had abandoned us. Since there was no God, there were no values for man to live by, he believed this would bring the downfall of European humanity. According to Nietzsche, the rise of the superman was essential to rescuing the European culture. The death of God made it possible for the rise of the superior man.

Nietzsche considered his idea of superman as a gift to humankind. It taught them to love something higher than themselves and hate themselves as humans. He taught that there were two paths that mankind could follow. The first path leads to the superman and the second path leads to the "last man" which is a person who is selfish and will only do or create something if it is beneficial for themselves.[7] His ideas were not popular among the people in Europe at the time and were first rejected.[8] The second path is more rewarding because it leads to becoming a superman, but is much more dangerous and difficult. This is because a superman can only be achieved from the destruction of European civilization.

Nietzsche considered man not to be a stagnate and concrete state, but a metamorphosis and ever-changing process from beast to superman. It consisted of, the last man, to a transition from, the camel-spirited, to the lion-spirited, to the child-spirited and finally into superman. The following is a representation of Nietzsche's idea.

                                        MAN

Beast:      Last     Man     Camel    Lion    Child     :Superman

Your position on the scale is determined by your liveliness and you can increase in power as you move to the right and decrease in power as you move to the left. As one moves to the left, they are becoming more selfish and only concerned about what will help themselves. As one moves to the right, they become more aware of society and their desire to help and improve it will increase and become their purpose of existing.

The Will To Power

Nietzsche's intention for the book was much different than what was published. His intention for his work was to express the purpose of life. He stated, "once there is life, there is will to power because life is only alive if it is intensified." He wanted to express that it does not matter what you do with your life, it is all experience and that nothing is impossible and that the purpose of life is to increase from where you are and have an increased sense of power. Those who wish to destroy life are those who rely on God's will.[9][10]

After Nietzsche's death, his sister, Elisabeth and a German editor name Gast, published a book on his behalf. They went through old and unfinished notes to put together a final masterpiece. If Nietzsche would have been alive and written the book himself (which would not have happened due to the fact that he had abandoned the project) it would have gone in a much different direction. The book as it is today is not entirely correct and is considered a huge misrepresentation of Nietzsche's ideas.[11][12]

Nazi Interpretation

Due to Nietzsche's sister, Elisabeth, the misrepresentation in his book, The Will to Power, was suggested that he was in favor of Eugenics which was breeding and killing to form a master race. During World War II, the Nazis took this idea as inspiration for their conquest to take control of other countries in order to form a superior race.

Nietzsche's idea of superman was a form of self-mastery and improving yourself as an individual and in a way, unattainable. Due to the misrepresentation presented in his book, The Will to Power, the Nazis took the idea of Ubermensch to support their idea of "Aryan-supremacy." Through these two complementing ideas, the Nazis considered themselves as a superior race.[13]

Nietzsche’s works were misinterpreted, which lead to receiving credit for the National Socialism movement in Germany that began in the 1930’s. Despite that fact that Nietzsche was greatly opposed to German racism.[14]

References
  1. Wai, Jonathan (2013-07-01). "Investigating America's elite: Cognitive ability, education, and sex differences". Intelligence. 41 (4): 203–211. doi:10.1016/j.intell.2013.03.005. ISSN 0160-2896.
  2. Gottfredson, Linda S. (1997). "Why g Matters: The Complexity of Everyday Life" (PDF). Intelligence. 24 (1): 79–132. doi:10.1016/S0160-2896(97)90014-3. ISSN 0160-2896.
  3. Wilson, Frank Harold (1995). "For Whom Does the Bell Toll?: Meritocracy, the Cognitive Elite, and the Continuing Significance of Race in Postindustrial America". The Journal of Negro Education. 64 (3): 253–266. doi:10.2307/2967207. JSTOR 2967207. It refutes as cultural superstition and social science pornography The Bell Curve's theories on the role of intelligence in the social stratification of postindustrial America. It further refutes Herrnstein and Murray's ideas about the effects of IQ on social outcomes such as poverty, schooling, occupation, and underemployment, and counters the pessimistic public policy proposals their research engenders.
  4. Lemann, Nicholas (1997). "Is There a Cognitive Elite in America?". Intelligence, Genes, and Success. Springer New York. pp. 315–325. doi:10.1007/978-1-4612-0669-9_14. ISBN 9780387949864. Therefore the cognitive elite should be understood as a sociological cartoon with political uses, not a phenomenon to be accepted at face value.
  5. "superman | Philosophy". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
  6. "Nietzsche's Ubermensch: Concept & Theory". Study.com. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
  7. "Nietzsche's idea of "the overman" (Ubermensch) is one of the most significant concept in his thinking". ccrma.stanford.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
  8. Gillespie, Michael Allen (2005). ""Slouching Toward Bethlehem to Be Born": On the Nature and Meaning of Nietzsche's Superman". Journal of Nietzsche Studies (30): 49–69. ISSN 0968-8005. JSTOR 20717863.
  9. "Nietzsche: The Will to power". Philosophy & Philosophers. 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
  10. "Nietzsche, Friedrich (1844—1900)". Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
  11. "How the Nazis Hijacked Nietzsche, and How It Can Happen to Anybody". Big Think. 2017-12-16. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
  12. Carter, Lucas (October 24, 2010). "How did Friedrich Nietzsche's ideas influence the Nazi regime in the Third Reich?" (PDF). Active History.
  13. M. Kalish (June 2004). "Nietzsche's Influence on Hitler's Mein Kampf". marcuse.faculty.history.ucsb.edu. Retrieved 2020-04-02.
  14. "Friedrich Nietzsche's Übermensch (Superman)". SchoolWorkHelper. Retrieved 2020-04-02.


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