Making Sense of Heritability

ISBN-13:	9780521828185
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	10/13/2005
Series:	Cambridge Studies in Philosophy and Biology
Pages:	282
Sales rank:	1,026,389
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.75(d)

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.