Genetic Determinism, Genetic Reductionism, and Genetic Essentialism

Abstract

Introduction Determinism: Genetic and Otherwise Reductionism: Genetic and Otherwise Essentialism: Genetic and Otherwise

Judicial Stereotyping Associated with Genetic Essentialist Biases toward Mental Disorders and Potential Negative Effects on Sentencing

“…However, these results suggest that stronger beliefs toward scientific determinism may be able to disrupt negative sentencing views specifically related to deterrence and incapacitation, even when judicial stereotyping related to genetic essentialist biases is exhibited, in cases involving mental disorders. Deterministic views of outcomes of those with mental disorders are known to be intrinsically intertwined with the negative effects of genetic essentialist biases (Wachbroit 2000). Thus, it was unexpected that judges with stronger beliefs toward scientific determinism would show no effects on their punishment views regarding offenders with mental disorders with known genetic influences.…”

“…Thus, it is possible that judges' personal experiences with mental disorders may affect how and to what extent they exhibit stereotyping behavior toward diagnosed offenders. Judges' views on scientific determinism compared to their views on free will: This factor was studied as a potential intervening condition because individuals' strength of views on free will, which can be defined as the ability to act at one's own discretion, is negatively associated with the exhibition of genetic essentialist biases (Ogletree and Archer ). Furthermore, strength of views on scientific determinism, which can be defined as the idea that human characteristics are determined by biological attributes, is known to be intertwined and positively associated with negative effects of genetic essentialist biases (Wachbroit ). Support for the concept of free will is also a construct known to permit punishment of crimes; a larger degree of perceived free will, and therefore responsibility, can lead to more retributive punishments (Clark et al ).…”

Genomic Essentialism: Its Provenance and Trajectory as an Anticipatory Ethical Concern

“…As we have suggested, a whole lexicon of genomic “isms” and “ations” has grown up to name the concerns that have been registered regarding the psychosocial impacts of genomic information. At the core of this list are three key isms that are overlapping but not (as sometimes assumed) interchangeable: genetic essentialism, concerning the belief that our identity and personal traits are “hard wired” by our genomes and that they are intrinsically defined and can be predicted by our genetic makeup; genetic determinism, suggesting that genes alone cause complex human behaviors and that “what happens for genetic reasons is involuntary”; and genetic reductionism, which presumes that human nature and health can be reduced to a “nothing but genes” description and equates biological explanations with genetic ones…”

“…A s we have suggested, a whole lexicon of genomic "isms" and "ations" has grown up to name the concerns that have been registered regarding the psychosocial impacts of genomic information. At the core of this list are three key isms that are overlapping but not (as sometimes assumed) interchangeable: 24 genetic essentialism, concerning the belief that our identity and personal traits are "hard wired" by our genomes and that they are intrinsically defined and can be predicted by our genetic makeup; 25 genetic deter-Maintaining the ELSI discourse on genomic isms is important: it serves as a constant reminder of the potential harms of essentialist beliefs, and it highlights the need for such societal harms to be addressed simultaneously in specific contexts and across contexts.…”