Making Sense of HeritabilityIn this book, Neven Sesardic defends the view that it is both possible and useful to measure the separate contributions of heredity and environment to the explanation of human psychological differences. He critically examines the view - very widely accepted by scientists, social scientists and philosophers of science - that heritability estimates have no causal implications and are devoid of any interest. In a series of clearly written chapters he introduces the reader to the problems and subjects the arguments to close philosophical scrutiny. His conclusion is that anti-heritability arguments are based on conceptual confusions and misunderstandings of behavioural genetics. His book is a fresh and compelling intervention in a very contentious debate. |
Contents
| 11 | |
| 16 | |
| 18 | |
14 Can monomorphic traits be heritable | 28 |
caveat lector | 33 |
A tangle of interactions separating genetic and environmental influences | 48 |
22 The rectangle analogy | 51 |
23 Lewontin against ANOVA | 56 |
44 Unfair to facts | 142 |
45 The hereditarian strikes back | 148 |
Genes and malleability | 153 |
52 PKU | 157 |
53 Local | 162 |
54 Comparing apples and oranges | 169 |
56 Limits to egalitarianism | 178 |
Science and sensitivity | 183 |
24 Nonadditivity | 60 |
25 Locality | 75 |
26 Causal irrelevance | 81 |
27 The second look at interactions | 86 |
Lost in correlations? Direct and indirect genetic causes | 89 |
a Pickwickian notion? | 90 |
tracing the paths of causality | 105 |
33 The sociologists fallacy | 121 |
From individuals to groups genetics and race | 127 |
41 The master argument | 128 |
42 VE theories | 138 |
43 Xfactor theories | 140 |
61 Mistaken because politically motivated | 184 |
62 Politically motivated because mistaken | 186 |
63 Consequential fallacy | 193 |
64 Double standards | 201 |
65 From is to ought nonfallaciously | 208 |
66 Looking into the abyss | 212 |
67 From groups to individuals | 217 |
68 Fair therefore biased? | 224 |
Conclusion | 229 |
References | 235 |
| 259 | |
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Common terms and phrases
100 percent accepted analysis argument behavior geneticists behavior genetics belief Bell Curve between-group heritability biological Block causal claim cognitive concept context critics of heritability debate discussion Dworkin E₁ Elliott Sober environmental differences environmental influences environmentalist example explain fact factors fallacy G-E correlation G₁ Galton genes and environments genetic and environmental genetic determinism genetic differences genetic effects genetic variance genetically caused genotype Gould Griffiths hereditarianism heredity heritability estimates heritability of IQ Herrnstein high heritability human behavior genetics hypothesis individual inference intelligence IQ differences IQ tests issue italics added Jencks Jensen Kitcher Lewontin 1976a Loehlin malleability mean measure methodological modifiable nature-nurture Ned Block norms of reaction nurture Oyama phenotypic differences phenotypic variance philosophers Philosophy of Science Plomin political population possible psychology question race racial racism reason relevant scientific scientists similar situation social statistical interaction studies theories tion trait twin studies twins variation Wahlsten X-factor
Popular passages
Page 9 - Newton, with some others of that strain, it is ambition enough to be employed as an underlabourer in clearing the ground a little, and removing some of the rubbish that lies in the way to knowledge...
Page xii - The work described in this paper was fully supported by a grant from the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China (Project No.
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