Also see Haidt’s work on foundations of morality. (Which shows that our different political stances come from different “moral foundations,” w/ the *implicit* claim that these moral foundations are themselves fixed and innate.) 3/x
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Which also seems to be the implication that drives a huge swath of the behavioral genetics literature. At least the swath in political science. That Yang is basing his tweet on. 4/x
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But let’s step back for a minute and consider this implication: *Can* our political preferences *actually* be innate and fixed? 5/x
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Can I be born believing in gender equality? Or being an antisemite? Or being anti-abortion? Or pro gun rights? OF COURE NOT! 6/x
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My genes don’t even know guns (or “jews,” as a distinct category and available scapegoat) exist. And most of these issues are only issues b/c our political parties make them such. 7/x
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And the stance you take is heavily determined by the stance your political party happens to take. Which changes by the year (and you will most likely change with it. Eg see gop and Russia.) 8/x
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Or by who joins your parties coalition. (Eg evangelicals stance on business. Or pro-business people’s stance on abortion.) 9/x
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Thus, the implication of these genetic studies (or other “biological determinants” studies, like the neuro studies) is quite misleading. 10/x
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True, the actual correlations shown are real. But genes and neuro-differences correlate with *everything*. That does not imply *that thing* is innate or immutable. 11/x
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All that means is: differences in whether you are liable to, eg, end up in a city, or be black, female, highly educated (or anything else that influences which coalition you join, and hence which policies you prefer and ideologies you espouse) have genetic/neuro correlates 12/x
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In the long run, genetic predispositions for social traits will correlate with reproductive success. Societies need to model and account for that.
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