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Summary Of All In The Genes By Richard Lewontin

631 Words3 Pages

Often people will find that human existence is controlled by DNA. It has a major effect on society because people will not stop believing that the differences between us whether it’s ability, mental or physical health are coded in our genes. Even if humans were completely different from one another, that alone would not prove that society gives power to people who are different. With the goal to make the biology as ideology determinism complete, a theory of unchangeable human nature seems appropriate, coded in our genes we can find human nature. In the book, Richard Lewontin makes it clear that there is a relationship between genes, society and genetics. The book explains how one’s environment effects who you are as a person more than DNA. …show more content…

His objective I believe is to influence us by telling readers that science doesn’t tell us the total truth that most people think it does. Mainly because it’s operated by society which reflects the ideas we see every day. Science has its purposes, some might say the real purpose is to figure out how to handle nature and the explanation behind how nature functions. Though many things have been invented without the help of science, it also has a different impact on society people don’t see. In the chapter titled “All in the genes” he expresses his personal feelings about IQ test which differ from what other people think. In society, people have no interest in defined abilities, instead are more concerned about achieving social tasks that are only relevant to people’s social life. (Lewontin, 1992) He’s trying to prove society should be doing IQ tests to measure the unseen abilities people possess, however someone’s intelligence can’t be measured through a single test. In the book, another point that really stood out, was his explanation on homosexuals. I think his words are interesting as he explains how homosexuals didn’t leave an offspring but instead focused on trying to help brothers and sisters to raise more children by sharing resources, and this in fact helped keep genes for the homosexuality. (Lewontin, 1992) This really stood out, cause even in today’s world there’s controversy over marriage and homosexuality in

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