What are the implications of ALL behaviors being a product of nature AND nurture?

[AgnosticBoy]

Edit... changed thread title and debate questions:

I believe that all human behavior is a product of both nature and nurture. What I question, or don't fully understand, are the implications of that view because of how differing have used it to support their side. If behaviors are not a product of biology alone, then why are some still looked at as being fixed for life? In other words, why are the implications of genetic/biological determinism still being applied to any behavior?

For Discussion:
1. Are all human behaviors a product of nature and nurture?
2. If a behavior is not a product of only nature, then does that mean choice or lifestyle decisions are always a factor?*

* My intent is not to rehash the debate on sexual orientation (which assumes the Christian moral system is correct), but rather it's to support a more far-reaching conclusion that I have, which is that we have more control over our lives than we think we do - an argument against genetic/biological determinism and its implications. I can accept that my conclusion might be wrong or not proven.

 

[AgnosticBoy]

Let's start by explaining genetic or biological determinism.

Biological determinism, the idea that most human characteristics, physical and mental, are determined at conception by hereditary factors passed from parent to offspring. Although all human traits ultimately are based in a material nature (e.g., memorizing a poem involves changing molecular configurations at synapses, where neurons interact), the term biological determinism has come to imply a rigid causation largely unaffected by environmental factors.

One of the major consequences of widespread belief in biological determinism is the underlying assumption that if a trait or condition is genetic, it cannot be changed.

However, the relationship between genotype (the actual genes an individual inherits) and phenotype (what traits are observable) is complex. For example, cystic fibrosis (CF) is a multifaceted disease that is present in about 1 in every 2,000 live births of individuals of European ancestry. The disease is recessive, meaning that in order for it to show up phenotypically, the individual must inherit the defective gene, known as CFTR, from both parents. More than 1,000 mutation sites have been identified in CFTR, and most have been related to different manifestations of the disease. However, individuals with the same genotype can show remarkably different phenotypes. Some will show early onset, others later onset; in some the kidney is most afflicted, whereas in others it is the lungs. In some individuals with the most common mutation the effects are severe, whereas in others they are mild to nonexistent. Although the reasons for those differences are not understood, their existence suggests that both genetic background and environmental factors (such as diet) play important roles. In other words, genes are not destiny, particularly when the genetic basis of a condition is unclear or circumstantial but also even in cases where the genetic basis of a disability can be well understood, such as in cystic fibrosis.

Source: Allen, Garland Edward. "biological determinism". Encyclopedia Britannica, 25 Sep. 2018, https://www.britannica.com/topic/biological-determinism. Accessed 24 August 2024.

 

[AgnosticBoy]

1. Are all human behaviors a product of nature and nurture?

I think it used to be thought that behavior was a product of just nature (i.e. genetic determinism) or nurture (the blank slate view), but now the common view is that behavior is the product of complex interaction involving both nature and nurture.

The dichotomy doesn't make sense if taken to be one or the other since all of the activity that one would call "nature" occurs in an environment, and that includes pre-natal development occurring in an pre-natal environment. So the interaction between the two is intertwined.


The field of epigenetics also has some findings that shows that genes can be influenced by experience.

Science tells us that the interactions between genes and environment shape human development. Despite the misconception that genes are “set in stone,” research shows that early experiences can determine how genes are turned on and off — and even whether some are expressed at all.

Source: https://developingchild.harvard.edu...e tells us that the,some are expressed at all.

However, there's also no evidence that behavior, like sexual orientation and others, are a product of just nurture, since there is no evidence that people can turn on and off or change their sexual attractions, at will. Although, I don't discount that choice can play a role.

2. If a behavior is not a product of only nature, then does that mean choice or lifestyle decisions are always a factor?*

Possibly so. It at least means that something other than nature plays a role, such as nurture. However, we can also say that choice (our own or others) can influence nurture and environment. This view might also fall into the false dichotomy territory since "nurture" does not always involve choice, but i'll at least say that it is easier to be influenced by choice.