Probably the most enduring question throughout the history of the social sciences pertains to how much human social behavior is a product of evolutionary, genetic, nonsocial, “natural” sorts of variables as opposed to learned sociocultural, environmental, “nurturing” variables (Hammond, 1983). Regardless of where individual social scientists themselves happen to have settled on this issue, many have offered an opinion about the prevailing position of social scientists generally on this question at various points in social science history. The present study compares these opinions, especially as they pertain to the twentieth century.

“Ethical and Value Choices in the Selection of National Agricultural Research Goals” is a research project funded under an NSFJNEH grant. It involves bringing together a team of twelve nationally known experts to try to build a broadened base from which to evaluate agriculture and agricultural research. The team will meet twice in Washington, D.C., the first time to work out the full range of problems and interrelationships to be addressed and the second time to hear the papers presented by each of the team members. The meetings in Washington will be hosted by the General Accounting Office and will include various agency representatives and analysts, Congressional staff members, and representatives of interested groups. After being reviewed, the papers will be revised by the authors and edited into a book. The editing will be done by Kenneth A. Dahlberg, Western Michigan University, who is the principal investigator for the project.