Leon fireplace

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Leon J. Kamin (born December 29, 1927 in Taunton, Massachusetts , † December 22, 2017 ) was an American psychologist .

biography

Kamin grew up in Taunton, Massachusetts as one of 14 children of a Polish-Jewish rabbi family. As Jews in a city with predominantly Christian inhabitants, the family was exposed to hostility. Kamin responded by withdrawing from social contacts outside the family and focusing more on school.

As he himself later reported, this was how he recognized the importance of the social environment for the development of young people. Early on he made the resolution to study and become a professor. This plan was supported by his family. At the age of 16 he began his studies at Harvard University in Cambridge (Massachusetts) ; he received his BA in 1949 and his PhD in 1954 from the university. During his student days he joined the US Communist Party . In 1953, Kamin received an invitation to appear before one of the McCarthy hearings at the old Boston courthouse. There he was pressured to reveal the names of other Boston Communists.

Leon Kamin was a professor at McMaster University (1963–1968), Princeton University (1968–1987) and Northeastern University (1987–1998).

Leon J. Kamin was the cousin of the composer and author Franz Kamin and the uncle of the musician Aaron Kamin . He was married and had seven children. He was close friends with the British professor of biology and neurobiology Steven P. Rose and also worked with him in some cases.

Scientific work

Kamin was of the opinion that heredity of the intelligence quotient (IQ) is not likely. He wrote in 1974 that there was no data from which a reasonable person could conclude that IQ was hereditary in any proportion.

He was one of the first critics of the British psychologist Sir Cyril Burt and took the view that his work is falsified ( "Burt Affair" ).

Kamin was the author or co-author of several books. His best-known work entitled “Not in Our Genes” (Eng. Title: “The genes are not ...” ) he wrote together with Steven P. Rose and Richard Lewontin . In this book, Kamin argued that IQ and character are not innate but are learned through the environment.

Works

  • Leon J. Kamin: The intelligence quotient in science and politics . Steinkopff Verlag, Darmstadt 1979, book series: Psychology and Society - Vol. 8, ISBN 3-7985-0536-5 . (German translation; English original title: The science and politics of I. Q. )
  • Hans Jürgen Eysenck, Leon Kamin: Intelligence: the battle for the mind: HJ Eysenck versus Leon Kamin . Pan Books, London a. a. 1981, book series: Pan psychology, ISBN 0-333-31279-1 . (English)
  • Steven Rose, Leon J. Kamin, Richard C. Lewontin: Not in our genes: biology, ideology and human nature . Penguin Books, Harmondsworth, Middlesex, et al. a. 1984, series: Pelican books, ISBN 0-14-022605-2 . (English)
  • Richard C. Lewontin, Steven Rose, Leon J. Kamin: It's not the genes ... biology, ideology and human nature . Psychology Verl. Union, Munich a. a. 1988, ISBN 3-621-27036-1 . (German translation; English original title: Not in our genes: biology, ideology and human nature )

swell

  1. ↑ a b In Memoriam: Dr. Leon J. Kamin (1927-2017). Princeton University, Department of Psychology, January 19, 2018, accessed January 26, 2018 .
  2. ^ N. Mackintosh: IQ and Human Intelligence . In: Oxford University Newspaper, Oxford 1998, pages 78-79.
  3. ↑ LEON J. KAMIN: THE SCIENCE AND POLITICS OF IQ, 1974.
personal data
SURNAME Fireplace, Leon
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Kamin, Leon J.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American psychologist
DATE OF BIRTH December 29, 1927
PLACE OF BIRTH Taunton, Massachusetts
DATE OF DEATH 22nd December 2017