And at what age does this begin to manifest? Because very young children are immoral and selfish.
FYI I disagree, morality is taught and learned.
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Good question…I have no specific data on maturity of moral proclivity…although I would imagine, global developmental standards for maturation, as a whole, are determinants. If we look at the brain as a cohesive organ, maturation of the whole is needed for correct cohesive function.
You position yourself as familiar with this process, how about some more clarity and precision? Surely you must know at what age this “morality” manifests itself.
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As children mature past late adolescence into early adulthood, significant changes in their brain anatomy and activity are still going on…someone may be legally able to drive, yet still portray pre-adolescent behaviour. This variation is specifically note worthy in the pre frontal cortex, where our genetic moral precepts are housed, and not surprisingly, also where a large portion of our executive functions reside. This area of the brain, on average, is not considered completely developed until age 25.
Scruffy your position is untenable.
The myth of genetic enhancement (National Library of Medicine)
Affiliations expand
- PMID: 22528149
- DOI: 10.1007/s11017-012-9220-6
Abstract
The ongoing revolution in molecular genetics has led many to speculate that one day we will be able to change the expression or phenotype of numerous complex traits to improve ourselves in many different ways. The prospect of genetic enhancements has generated heated controversy, with proponents advocating research and implementation, with caution advised for concerns about justice, and critics tending to see the prospect of genetic enhancements as an assault on human freedom and human nature. Both camps base their arguments on the unquestioned assumption that the science will realize either their dreams or nightmares. In this paper, I show that their beliefs are based upon two fundamental mistakes. First, they are based upon an unwarranted reliance in a genetic determinism that takes for granted that the traits that we might most want to enhance, like intelligence, aggression, shyness, and even athletic ability, can be causally directed by specific genes. In so doing, character descriptions are reified to be concrete and discrete entities, in this case, genes. Second, they have accepted on faith that there is, or will be, a science to translate their hopes or worries into reality when, in fact, that is unlikely to occur because of the irreducible complexity of phenotypic expression.
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And boom goes the dynamite?! Is that still a thing?
You present this statement as hard medical evidence. My own quick research has not yielded any results. Can you please supply papers?
This has carried over from another thread so I will provide this link here as well.
No, there is presently no direct evidence associating our moral decision making locus in the orbital and ventromedial prefrontal cortices, with a specific gene. No study has yet been performed for validation. However, it is my belief that said data will come. We have identified genes for our emotions housed in the same area…considering this, it is a reasonable possibility for the same functionality for our morality. There is a lot of psychology based studies pointing toward genetic moral function. Here is one: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0956797621997350 This study finds that correlations are stronger between twins than between siblings, and serves as objective evidence for genetic influence, since twins share all their genes and siblings only 50%.
It’s another Nurture vs, Nature debate that has raged on since the discovery of genes. People have tried to hold genes responsible for everything under the sun.
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END OF DISCUSSION!
So why did you DISHONESTLY BEGIN WITH; ‘Genes are responsible for morality.’ You know you have no evidence for such a claim.
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When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you
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One personal fact drives my opinion. Up onto the age of 32 I was an immoral asshole. My morality and empathy came from my environment.
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Drivel. Pure and simple. And the gene for homosexuality will be discovered along with the gene for temperament, for choice of leisure activities, alcoholism, obesity, depression, schizophrenia, intelligence, personality, and the list goes on and on and on.
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You neglected sarcasm…
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My bad… I did however mention personality, a subset of sarcasm. At least, that’s the way I see it. Obviously caused by Genes.
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Yes I completely accept that my antagonistic “nature” most surely must be genetic.
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Evolutionary progression has two components…both a genetic predisposition, and an environmental pressure component. Environment influences our behaviours.
I have stopped accepting your bullshit. You assert stuff as if it was proven, later proven to be problematic.
What is the difference between you and some theist who also comes in here making unevidenced assertions?
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