Re: Biological Reductionism/Ideology

On Fri, 23 Feb 2001, Boris Stremlin wrote:

> On Thu, 22 Feb 2001, Richard N Hutchinson wrote:
> 
> > Boris-
> > 
> > Well, that's a twist!  No point in arguing against biological reductionism
> > if it doesn't exist!
> 
> It does exist, and has a great impact on society.  How impressive its
> record in human genetics research is is a different question - I asked if
> you could answer it during one of the last go-arounds and you bowed out,
> citing time constraints.  
> 
> And I end here.  You have the last word.


OK -- the indisputable answer to the different question is, we don't know
yet.  But based on what's already being done in agriculture, and the
gearing up of medical research aimed at finding a genetic basis for
various traits/behaviors, I'm alarmed.  Again, logically, if biological
reductionism doesn't work, other than as a pernicious ideology, then my
alarm is misplaced.  I hope you're right.

Richard