“a man’s natural abilities are derived by inheritance, under exactly the same limitations as are the form and physical features of the whole organic world.” Francis Galton, Hereditary Genius, 1869.
The debate around the influence of nature versus nurture on behaviour has been researched for decades. Behavioural genetics experiments have ranged from twins and adoption studies [...]
This term, coined by Richard Dawkins expresses a gene-centred view of evolution. The contention is that the genes that get passed on are the ones whose consequences serve their own implicit interests (to continue being replicated), not necessarily those of the organism.
In Dawkins theory, we cannot view the act of conception as replication of the [...]
How is the desire to have a biological baby interpreted? Is it an indisputable biological urge or an act of selfishness?
“Wanting a child that is genetically one’s own is a desire deeply implanted in many of us by our religious, cultural, and ethical traditions. It is not per se an unworthy impulse to be dismissed [...]
Where does our perception of danger come from? Fear as an evolutionary instinct exists to assist survival. Some fears are often viewed as instinctual, such as the fear of the dark or of predatory animals. These fears are no longer attached to the actual threat that inspired them, but seen as ‘evolutionary fears’ written into [...]
Also tagged fear, imagination, risk, threat, uncertaintyFrom the perspective of Darwinian evolution, reproduction has a single purpose: to mix our genes with another person’s to help ours survive and propagate - to help our own genes thrive in the next generation. But where does the desire to procreate come from when the genetic material in question is known to be dangerous, [...]
Also tagged BRCA, gene