Genetic determinism - Definition and Overview

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Genetic determinism is the idea that an individuals genes determine to a large degree all aspects of their behaviour. Genetics has shown that aberrations in certain genes can lead to various forms of physical and mental disease in humans, for instance, cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia are caused by mutations in a single gene, and Down syndrome and Klinefelter's syndrome by the abnormal duplication of a chromosome. Critics of the concept of genetic determinism claim that there are complex traits that make up the physical human phenotype and all its variations are not "caused" by genes, rather they result of a network of environmental and molecular interactions.

See also

• Free will
• Mind-body problem
• Evolutionary psychology

External links

Proponents

• General Term: Determinism (http://www.counterbalance.net/gengloss/determ-body.html)

Critics

• Greenspan, P.S. 1998. Free will and genetic determinism: locating the problem(s) (http://www.philosophy.umd.edu/Faculty/PGreenspan/Res/gen2.html)
• Strohman, R.C. 2003. Genetic determinism as a failing paradigm in biology and medicine: Implications for Health and Wellness. Journal of Social Work Education (http://www.cswe.org/publications/jswe/03-2strohman.htm)
• A Christian response to genetic determinism (http://www.psychoheresy-aware.org/genesv23.html)

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