From: Hal Finney (hal@finney.org)
Date: Fri Feb 21 2003 - 14:03:06 MST
Wired magazine has an article on some surprising changes in the
political arguments over "nature vs nurture", whether our genes
or our upbringing has more influence.
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.03/start.html?pg=2
According to the article, religious conservatives are moving towards
nurture, emphasizing the importance of family values. Greens are
going nature, with each species having its "innate nature" that must
be recognized, and that includes humans. But here is the kicker:
> Extropians: supernature. The futurists lining up to cryogenically freeze
> their brains or clamoring for genetic enhancements may have the most
> original take on the dispute yet. Genes dictate everything - including our
> species' tendency to experiment endlessly. So there's no reason to object
> to tinkering with our DNA or hacking our gray matter. It's only natural!
It's cute but not particularly accurate; our support for self-improvement
is hardly based on the assumption that "genes dictate everything."
Upbringing and culture play extremely important roles as well, and as
the last year has shown we are no strangers to debate over political
and cultural issues.
Hal
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