What we feel about the nature-nurture debate is likely to knit up with our political beliefs. As long ago as 1949, a survey showed that politically right-wing people tended to see genes as critical whereas those on the left favoured the environment, and this appears to be true today. The right will tend to argue that the hierarchies of society reflect genetically given talents, so that the rich are there because they have better genes, the poor are poor because they come from less good genetic stock. Likewise, women should be at home caring for children because genetic evolution has equipped their sex better for the role. For the left, these things are seen as the effects of society, something that can be changed; whereas the right wants to uphold the status quo, so genetic theories keep their bubble of illusions intact.Oliver James, “They Fuck You Up”
-
keep-life-rad liked this
-
timmytime posted this