Maropeng Molepo

14060559

2014/03/03

A persons morality is predetermined by genetics.

There are many ways to explain why, for instance, someone would become a
murderer or even an athletic man/woman. Two of the most researched topics are the
environmental effects like how the person was raised, the kind of people surrounding
the person and the kind of social life he was involved in and the second one being
the genetic aspect where a persons morality is predetermined by genetics. I find the
first statement to be more factual than the latter.
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines moral as being principles that one sees as
right or wrong in their behaviour. In other words it is a persons ethics. Growing up as
children without knowledge of how the world works, we tend to rely on what we see
and hear from those around us in order to determine if a kind of behaviour can be
categorized as right or wrong. We then build up on what we consider ethical as we
grow up to socialise and gain more knowledge on which behaviours are accepted by
society and which not. With this we can see that morality is more influenced by
environmental aspects than DNA. Instead of this being caused by genetics where
DNA is passed from one generation to another, it is rather caused by the knowledge
of what is right and what is wrong being passed down to us.
It is quite difficult to determine whether a person traits are genetically predetermined
or were developed while growing up. According to a journal article on NCBI: Genetic
modification and genetic determinism ,most traits are not determined by a single
gene but many different genes, sometimes even up to a hundred genes can
determine just one trait. The article also states how the development of a person has
a significant effect on gene expression. For example, look at two identical twins who
occupy similar genetic features yet they have different fingerprints and dental
structures. The article also explains how the environment plays an important role in
the expression of most genes. For example, a person with the potential to reach a
height of six feet tall wont do so with the incorrect diet. Once again we see the
effects of environment on the expression on genes concerning morality.
A journal article called Behavioural Genetic Determinism: Do Genes Equal
Behaviour explains how the traditional belief that genetic influences are only critical
in infancy and early years of life, being superseded by environmental factors later on
in life, is now being opposed by recent genetic-behavioural research that conclude
that certain genetic traits actually intensify through adolescence. This findings could
help try to understand the nature of genetics in relation to peoples behaviour but
with such a vast diversity of social experience that contribute to a persons overall
behaviour, it is virtually impossible account for all them in the study. Another journal
article Genetic Influences on Adolescent Eating Habits examine the eating habits
and food consumption due to genetic and environmental factors that cause obesity.
This brings up the thin ethical boundary as to whether eating too much becomes
choice to these kids rather than, uncontrollably, a gene related issue.

Maropeng Molepo

14060559

2014/03/03

Genetic predetermination is a very complex issue as we have to account for many

possible social experience of each character which is not possible. According to
Understanding Life Sciences Grade 12 Learners Book 2nd edition a persons
sexuality may become predetermined if, for instance, a man develops more
oestrogens he can became gay. But this is unlike morality because morality is based
in what the person believes to be right and wrong which the knowledge is only
acquired through experience and learning and not genetics.

Bibliography

Isaac, T. (2011) Understanding Life Sciences Grade 12 Learners Book. 2nd

edition. South Africa: Pulse Educational Services cc.
Merriam-Webster Online dictionary. (2014). http://www.merriam-webster.com.
Kevin M. Beaver, Tori Flores, Brian B. Boutwell and Chris L. Gibson. (2011). Health
Education & Behaviour. Genetic Influences on Adolescent Eating Habits.
http://heb.sagepub.com/content/39/2/142.

Raquel Deering. (2002). Behavioural Genetic Determinism. Do Genes Equal

Behaviour?
http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro02/web3/rdeering.html.
Dar-Nimrod, Ilan; Heine, Steven J. (2011). Genetic essentialism: On the
deceptive determinism of DNA. Psychological Bulletin, Vol 137(5), Sep 2011,
800-818. doi: 10.1037/a0021860.
David B. Resnik and Daniel B. Vorhaus. (2006). Genetic modification and
genetic determinism. http://www.ncbi.nlm.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1524970/