The old friend to whom this book is dedicated always signed his letters, “yours for a better world.” He was a Jeffersonian of Democratic Socialist persuasion whose idealism never faltered, although the stonewall of indifference he battered himself against had something to do with his alcoholism and early death. He was sustained by the fact that, however negative the reception, his egalitarian ideals would have benevolent consequences if they prevailed. It is hard to see how anyone could persist without this kind of expectation. He also had a vision of a better America that would promote peace rather than conflict on the international scene.

Part III consists of three chapters that argue that such hopes and expectations have substance. Our first task is to defend the viability of egalitarian ideals. This brings us back to The Bell Curve. What with the sound and fury of race, both its fans and its critics ignored its main challenge, perhaps because it was too hope-destructive to face. I refer to the meritocracy thesis.