In a message dated 7/9/2000 9:48:36 PM Pacific Daylight Time, spike66@ibm.net
writes:
> It did surprise me a little that no one offered to challenge the
> notion that sexual preferences are hardwired. If that is the case,
> it is a sure bet that these hardwired-before-birth tastes can be
> inherited, altho the exact mechanism remains mysterious.
It's not a sure bet, it's speculation.
The word notion is a good one. It is only a notion. It sounds good, but it is
not for sure. Gays and Lesbians have been arguing over this issue for
decades. Do we have ANY control over who we are attracted to? I say yes. You
say no...
It certainly SEEMS that we have rational reasons for choosing our mating
partners to bear the correct fruit. And, since sex is such a powerful drive,
how convenient to say it's not within our choice. But honestly, so many other
factors also play into it, early childhood, bad experiences, family and
friends approval, abuse (if any), class, self esteem, ethnicity, upbringing,
and of course CHOICE, that it's a 'cop out' to blame it on the big programmer
in the sky.
[Hardwired as a metaphor never works for me in the human gene, we are too
soft and squishy and unpredictable... look at all the abberations also hard
wired in .. foot fetishes for one... I hardly ever saw a foot give birth... ;
- )
Hopefully you mean 'somewhat pre-disposed' towards certain sexual
preferances, and that's when i said 'easily manipuated because of them".
That's what transhumanists hope to be able to change, unwanted
predispositions to habits and behaviors that are archaic throwbacks. Blind
breeding wont work in a transformed new world.
Evolution: You're not the boss of me!
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Oct 02 2000 - 17:34:19 MDT