Max Castle

How do you know if a Twitter account is run by a humanities graduate? They talk about the wonders of 'epigenetics'.

are you just throwing shade, or do you think the concept of epigenetics is bunk?

Can I do both? Saying epigenetics is bunk is a step too far but it has clearly been latched onto by those who want to dismiss the 'determinism' of genetics. It started with Deleuzian vitalists about 15 years ago and looks like it has nowade it to the pseudo-commies. 1/2

The bigger problem is the question of epigenetics is simply irrelevant. Even if environmental factors were a larger causal agent in development, it would not then follow that "we could have some control over the way genetic traits are expressed."

"Even if the environment in which humans develop were a large causal factor in how they develop, this wouldn't imply humans could...manipulate the environment to affect development"? I hate playing "who's more obvi taking an instrumental position and phoning in the details?" but.

Yeah, you're right.

I imbued the author with a greater level of control than is necessary from her position here. One doesn't need the voodoo of epigenetics to recognize the possibility of something like genre manipulation. But this is a secondary and largely unrelated point. @nihilaxis

dismissing the concept and whole bodies of work on epigenetics as voodoo is a weak imo. can’t be explained away that easy. you leave yourself open to argumentative exploit with that