In this episode I chat with Professor Eric Turkheimer at the University of Virginia about why the fact that "everything is heritable" doesn't actually mean very much; why the concept of "heritability" itself might just be the most misunderstood term in science; how the field of behavior genetics continues to struggle to disentangle its research priorities and methodological assumptions from the segregationist and eugenic ideologies that shaped its early development; and why humans have a “genetic essentialism” cognitive bias that primes us to oversimplify very complex realities of human nature.

"Understanding the Nature-Nurture Debate" by Professor Turkheimer: https://amzn.to/4l5Q6K0

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In this episode, I explain my concerns and criticisms of the claim that "everything is genetic." I explain both why I once found the hereditarian literature very persuasive, as well as the philosophical and epistemological reasons I am no longer willing to agree that the case can be considered closed. I've listed a few resources that might be useful for further reading below. Of course I don't agree with every single thing each of these authors argues either—and some of them even contradict one another on various details. But as a whole, they have greatly informed my thinking on this subject and many others.

On behavioral genetics and biology: Eric Turkheimer, "Understanding the Nature-Nurture Debate" https://amzn.to/4l5Q6K0

Evelyn Fox Keller, "The Century of the Gene" https://amzn.to/3TxKFb6

Denis Noble, "The Music of Life" https://amzn.to/4leUnuU

David Moore, "The Developing Genome" https://amzn.to/4nbGeQP

Aaron Panofsky, “Misbehaving Science: Controversy and the Development of Behavioral Genetics” https://amzn.to/4k0vJNo

Philip Ball, "How Life Works: A User's Guide to the New Biology" https://amzn.to/442walX

Books not specifically about genetics but which have contributed enormously to my general philosophy of science and causality (and the weirdness of the universe):

Iain McGilchrist, "The Master and His Emissary" https://amzn.to/4n8G6Bx

Bernardo Kastrup, "Analytical Idealism" https://amzn.to/3I3NNsI

Don Hoffman, "The Case Against Reality" https://amzn.to/4jUjCBz

Robert Rosen, "Life Itself" https://amzn.to/44aDWsD

Lewis Mumford, "The Myth of the Machine" https://amzn.to/4n8GVu7

Paul Feyerabend, "Against Method" https://amzn.to/4nbIMhX

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This week I sat down with Joshua Slocum, co-host of the "Disaffected" podcast. I reached out to him to discuss the convergence of "Cluster B" pathology and the flattering mimicry of AI, as documented in one of his recent episodes (linked below.) We wound up discussing all kinds of things, including a bit of the AI question as well as the heritability (or lack thereof) of homosexuality, the consequences of our obnoxious Marxist youth, what compels us to "do the work" when our parents wouldn't, and why telling ourselves the truth about the past and who we really are is the most important thing we can do for our own healing. Plus he graces us several times with "the voice."

Disaffected on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DisaffectedPodcast

"Out of Alignment" episode about AI: https://youtu.be/MjGCsk11sqw

For more information or to reach out to Josh: https://joshuaslocum.net/

For more about me or to book a consultation, visit my website: www.jenhowk.com

Join the Collective Unconscious: https://collective.jenhowk.com