Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Part I Introduction: the new brain sciences
- Part II Freedom to change
- Part III Neuroscience and the law
- Part IV Stewardship of the new brain sciences
- 10 The neurosciences: the danger that we will think that we have understood it all
- 11 On dissecting the genetic basis of behaviour and intelligence
- 12 Prospects and perils of stem cell repair of the central nervous system: a brief guide to current science
- 13 The use of human embryonic stem cells for research: an ethical evaluation
- 14 The Prozac story
- 15 Psychopharmacology at the interface between the market and the new biology
- 16 Education in the age of Ritalin
- Part V Conclusion
- References
- Index
11 - On dissecting the genetic basis of behaviour and intelligence
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 August 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of contributors
- Part I Introduction: the new brain sciences
- Part II Freedom to change
- Part III Neuroscience and the law
- Part IV Stewardship of the new brain sciences
- 10 The neurosciences: the danger that we will think that we have understood it all
- 11 On dissecting the genetic basis of behaviour and intelligence
- 12 Prospects and perils of stem cell repair of the central nervous system: a brief guide to current science
- 13 The use of human embryonic stem cells for research: an ethical evaluation
- 14 The Prozac story
- 15 Psychopharmacology at the interface between the market and the new biology
- 16 Education in the age of Ritalin
- Part V Conclusion
- References
- Index
Summary
In this chapter, I argue that it is inappropriate at present to pursue research into the genetic basis of ‘intelligence’ and of other behavioural traits in humans. I do not think that such research should be prohibited, nor that we should ignore research findings that emerge from other studies and that give us insight into these areas, but I doubt the wisdom of conducting research designed specifically to identify ‘genes’ or ‘genetic variation’ that contributes substantially to the normal variation in human cognitive abilities and behaviours. Set out below are the various arguments that have brought me to this judgement, probably as much from temperament as deliberation. These considerations can be arranged on a variety of different levels:
First are a number of contextual issues such as what is intelligence? Why is it valued so highly? What is it that motivates some scientists to invest so much effort in attempts to measure intelligence, and especially to assess and rank their fellow humans? What lessons can be learned from previous attempts to measure the (intellectual and moral) worth of individuals and races/population groups?
Research aimed at identifying genetic variation associated with inter-individual differences in intelligence within the ‘normal range’ is relatively unlikely to yield important and replicable results and may consume much time, effort and resources.
Such research is unlikely to identify biological determinants of intelligence in ‘normal’ individuals or any clearly beneficial application in medicine or other social realms.
What is true of intelligence will be broadly true also of other personality characteristics, although the demarcation between ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’ behaviours may be more difficult to define in some of these areas.
[…]
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- The New Brain SciencesPerils and Prospects, pp. 181 - 194Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2004