Name:
Date:
"Calendar"
Assignment for Day 13
Behavior Genetics
· Bouchard (“Never the twain shall meet”) NOTE: You may need to use a different password for this article: it is the number 6335.
· Note: This article was published before the human genome was sequenced, so it reports the old, incorrect estimates of how many genes humans have. I mention this so you don’t get confused by the apparent contradiction. The article is accurate, however, about behavior genetics.
Writing assignment:
· Background: People differ greatly in looks and behavior, and much of this variation can be traced to their genetic differences. Bouchard’s research has helped prove this, yet he argues that our genes do not predestine who we are or how we will behave. He uses identical twins, who are genetic clones, to help make both points. He also notes that evidence for the moderately high heritability of important human differences, such as in intelligence, tends to generate social controversy.
· Task: Bouchard is clearly trying to answer a variety of ethical concerns in the course of describing the methods and outcomes of behavior genetic research. What are those ethical concerns, and how does he answer them? Please explain and, where relevant, draw upon the earlier reading on ethics to do so.
Thinking assignment:
· Be prepared to debate whether there is such a thing as “dangerous knowledge” and, if so, whether it ought to be suppressed.