Making Sense of Heritability (Cambridge Studies in Philosophy and Biology) - Softcover

Sesardic, Neven

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0521173337 ISBN 13: 9780521173339

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2011

Synopsis

Neven Sesardic defends the view that it is both possible and useful to measure the separate contributions of heredity and environment to the explanation of human psychological differences. He critically examines the view--very widely accepted by scientists, social scientists and philosophers of science--that heritability estimates have no causal implications and are devoid of any interest and subjects the arguments to close philosophical scrutiny. His conclusion is that anti-heritability arguments are based on conceptual confusions and misunderstandings of behavioral genetics.

About this title

Book Description:

Sesardic defends the view that it is both possible and useful to measure the separate contributions of heredity and environment to the explanation of human psychological differences. He critically examines the view--very widely accepted by scientists, social scientists and philosophers of science--that heritability estimates have no causal implications and are without interest. In a series of clearly written chapters he introduces the reader to the problems and subjects the arguments to close philosophical scrutiny. His book is a fresh, original and compelling intervention in a very contentious debate.

About the Author:

Neven Sesardic is Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Lingnan University, Hong Kong. His areas of specialisation are philosophy of biology, philosophy of science and philosophy of mind.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0521173337
• ISBN 13: 9780521173339
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 282