Question
ARE MY ANSWERS TO THE QUESTION BELOW ACCORDING TO THE Chapter 1 of the book discrimination and disparity by Thomas sowell......................P LEASE READ THROUGH ALL
ARE MY ANSWERS TO THE QUESTION BELOW ACCORDING TO THE Chapter 1 of the book discrimination and disparity by Thomas sowell......................PLEASE READ THROUGH ALL THE ANSWER AND TELL I AM REALLY WORRIED ABOUT THEM......................READ EACH QUESTION INDIVIDUALLY AND ANSWER INDIVIDUALLY IF IT IS ACCORDING TO THE LINES OF THE BOOK.....................I WILL BE EXTREMELY THANKFUL
Chapter One
1. What are the two common explanations for success of individuals and nations?
The two common explanations for the success of individuals and nations are:
- The belief that those who are successful are genetically more capable.
- The belief that those who are successful have been more fortunate and/or have had more opportunities than those who are less successful.
Disparities in wealth, education, and other results across distinct groups or individuals are used using these two hypotheses. Although there are also are other possible explanations for disparities.But these are the ones most agreed upon. Also, the success in different endeavors may depend on specific prerequisites, and a small difference in meeting those prerequisites can result in a large difference in the outcomes. Therefore, it is not necessarily the case that success is solely dependent on innate capabilities or luck.
2. Describe the distribution of success.
The distribution of success the author argues that it is not always evenly distributed among individuals or groups in a given society or system. He clearly does not states the things that make a person successful by reading the passage but we get a hint that hesuggests that success is influenced by a variety of factors, including individual abilities, choices, and efforts, as well as social and economic conditions. Sowell emphasizes that success is acomplex interplay of factors, such as cultural values, geography, and historical events and isnot solely determined by discrimination or social injustice.He argues that different groups may have varying levels of success due to differences in human capital, such as education, skills, and work experience, as well as access to resources and opportunities. According to the author, the distribution of success can be represented by a bell curve, where the majority of individuals in certain ranges some fall in the middle range of success, while some atsmall number of individuals at avery high levels of success, and someindividuals are in thevery low levels of success. We can also say that in practice, there may be more or less of an approximation of a normal bell curve, as far as how many people have any particular prerequisite, and yet makes avery skewed distribution of success, based on having all the prerequisites simultaneously. In short, the chances of success may depend on the chance of how many prerequisites you have. Moreover, that this distribution can be influenced by a variety of factors, such as genetics, family background, and personal choices, as well as external factors like economic and political conditions. Overall, the authors perspective on the distribution of success seems toemphasizes thatthe complex and multifaceted nature of success and evensuggests that simplistic solutions that focus solely on eliminating discrimination or promoting equal outcomes may not be effective in achieving greater success for all individuals and groups.
3. What is the problem with flawed perceptions of the probabilities of success?
The problem with flawed perceptions of the probabilities of success is that they can lead or driveideological movements, political crusades, and judicial decisions that are not based on the reality of the world. The passage notes that patterns of very skewed distributions of success are common in the real world, which contradicts some fundamental assumptions on both the political left and right. People on opposite sides of many issues may assume a background level of probabilities that is not realistic the passage further goes on to inform us that flawed perceptions of probabilities and the failure of the real world to match expectations derived from that flawed perception can drive political and legal decisions, up to and including decisions by the Supreme Court of the United States. Which shows that, flawed perceptions of probabilities can influence judicial decisions, including those made by the Supreme Court. A good example of the problems with the flawed perception is of, "disparate impact" statistics, which show different outcomes for different groups, have been enough to HAVE presumption of discrimination. This suggests to usthat relying solely on statistical evidence without considering other factors can be problematic and may lead to decisions that do not accurately reflect the reality of the situation.
OR
The problem with flawed perceptions of the probabilities of success is that they can lead or driveideological movements, political crusades, and judicial decisions that are unrealistic.This can lead to decisions that have negative consequences, such as promoting genetic determinism, discrimination, and even leading tocatastrophic events. These flawed perceptions can HAVE presumption of discrimination based on statistical disparities, which may not accurately reflect the true causes of thedisparities. So, it is important to understand the disparities that are their and their underlying causes, it is important to examine empirical evidence about disparities among individuals, social groups, institutions, and nations, rather than relying on flawed perceptions and assumptions.
4. What are the prerequisites for success?
The prerequisites for success are not directly named in the passage but we see that the author uses different examples and states that the prerequisite of successdepend on the particular endeavor at handorin question. We get to know that the most meaningful endeavors have multiple prerequisites and having most of the prerequisites for success may not be enough to ensure a successful outcome at the end like if a person has 3/5. Because foran individual to be successful, they must have all the prerequisites simultaneously. The absence of even one prerequisite, no matter how complex or simple, can negate the effect of all the other prerequisites present. Sometimes, what is missing may be someone to point an individual with great potential in the right direction examples of which we see the passage. Although there might be someof the prerequisites thatmay not be within an individual's control. Factors behind differences in educational and career outcomes include family background, education, and having someone to point the individual in the right direction. While it is also important to note that although the chances of possessing one, two, three, four, or five of the prerequisites may follow a bell curve distribution, the outcomes of success will not. When used to plot on a graph (for a thing that requires 5 prerequisites success) with the number of prerequisites the horizontal axis and successful outcomes on the vertical axis, individuals with one, two, three, or four prerequisites will show zero successful outcomes, creating a line that coincides with the horizontal axis. Only at five prerequisites will there be some degrees of success, represented by a line that rises at right angles to the horizontal axis. This helps us tell that the relationship between prerequisites and success is not a case of normal distribution. From what I can understand is that for example prerequisite for success is hard work and dedication. In order to achieve success in any field, whether it be business, academics, or athletics, one must be willing to put in the time and effort required to develop the necessary skills and knowledge. This often involves making sacrifices, for some things and also requires a strong commitment to one's goals. Without a willingness to work hard and persevere through challenges and setbacks, it is unlikely that one will be able to achieve the level of success they desire.
To get the sense for the prerequisites that the author is talking about we can conclude that some essential condition can be Knowledge Skills, Strong work ethic, Habits, Culture that values education, hard work, and achievement. Knowledge is a crucial component of success being broadly knowledgeable in a variety of subjects and professions are more likely to succeed in life than those who are highly specialized in a single topic. Secondly the skills are also important to succeed. Having a diverse set of skills whether they be interpersonal or technical, makes a person more attractive to employers and increases their chances of finding success. Thirdly, the author stresses on the significance of having a strong work ethic. He says that individuals who are prepared to put in a lot of effort and persevere in the face of difficulties are more likely to succeed in life the author might have used it due to the fact that perseverance and hard effort enable individuals overcome challenges. Fourthly, the value of having good habits can also be a precondition for success because the author sees that a person with positive habits, such as being disciplined, focused, and organized, are more likely to succeed in life. Continuing the right path and going forward with your goals even in the presence of distractions or challenges. Success also requires a culture that values education, hard work, and achievement. Those who possess the knowledge, abilities, work ethic, and habits required for success are more likely to be produced in a society that values these characteristics.
5. Sowell thinks genetics and discrimination are not drivers of social outcomes. What does he think determines social outcomes?
According to Sowell, genetics and discrimination are not drivers of social outcomes. Rather, he suggests that social outcomes are determined by a complex interplayof other factors that contribute to differences in outcomes among different groups of people, including geography(geographic differences, demography(for example difference in median age, these differences are not small and they have large consequences),and other overlooked factors. Sowell argues that the assumption that the world would be a level playing field in the absence of discriminatory bias or genetic differencesis based ondefiance of both the logic and the facts. Therefore, Sowell believes that it is essential to consider various factors and not just rely on genetics or discrimination when explaining the social outcomes.Moreover he also say that genetics and discriminations are not sufficient to account for the all skewed social outcomes but the thing is that they have dominated our thinking is not an small/ easy thing to escape from. The author also gives example that in the earlier 20th century the factor behind economic, intellectual discrimination was thought to be genetics but that has changed today that is that it is caused by disparity.
Extra:
Geographic differences can prevent equal opportunities, even in the absence of genetic differences anddiscrimination.The example in the book that mountain peoples, who are not a single race but rather exist on different continents and were isolated from each other for thousands of years, share many social characteristics that have resulted in different options and achievements compared to people living in surrounding areas. Whereas for the example of demographic social we see that the author explains the difference in median age and how it affects social outcomes within a nation or between the nations i.e., income differences between middle-aged and young people in the United States are larger than income differences between blacks and whites. This suggests that demographic factors, such as differences in age, play an important role in shaping social outcomes.
6. What are the two dogma's that Sowell attacks?
The two dogmas that Thomas Sowell attacks are one the belief in the inferiority of certain races and the second being belief that the poverty of the exploited is solely the result of exploitation by the capitalist "exploiters". These beliefs were treated as dogmas, beyond the reach of evidence or logic, and led to catastrophic consequences in the 20th century, with millions of people being slaughtered by their own governments in the name of these dogmas. Sowell argues that these beliefs were not testable hypotheses, but rather foundation assumptions on which elaborate intellectual superstructures were built. The author uses the example of Marx's Capital, where "exploitation" was treated as a foundation assumption rather than a testable hypothesis, and the attempts to get rid of capitalist "exploiters" in Communist countries did not raise the living standards of workers as expected. We can in other words also say that Sowell attacks the dogmas of Nazism and Communism, which led to the slaughter of millions of human beings by their own governments in the name of ridding the world of the burden of "inferior" races or ridding the world of "exploiters" responsible for the poverty of the exploited. He also criticizes the foundation assumption of "exploitation" in Marxist economic theory, which was not treated as a testable hypothesis but rather as a sacred dogma.
Step by Step Solution
There are 3 Steps involved in it
Step: 1
![blur-text-image](https://dsd5zvtm8ll6.cloudfront.net/includes/images/document_product_info/blur-text-image.webp)
Get Instant Access with AI-Powered Solutions
See step-by-step solutions with expert insights and AI powered tools for academic success
Step: 2
![blur-text-image](https://dsd5zvtm8ll6.cloudfront.net/includes/images/document_product_info/blur-subtext-image.webp)
Step: 3
![blur-text-image](https://dsd5zvtm8ll6.cloudfront.net/includes/images/document_product_info/blur-subtext-image.webp)
Ace Your Homework with AI
Get the answers you need in no time with our AI-driven, step-by-step assistance
Get Started