| Genetic Determinism and the Innate-Acquired Distinction in Medicine. | |
| | |
MedLine Citation:
|
PMID: 20234831 Owner: NLM Status: Publisher |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
|
This article illustrates in which sense genetic determinism is still part of the contemporary interactionist consensus in medicine. Three dimensions of this consensus are discussed: kinds of causes, a continuum of traits ranging from monogenetic diseases to car accidents, and different kinds of determination due to different norms of reaction. On this basis, this article explicates in which sense the interactionist consensus presupposes the innate-acquired distinction. After a descriptive Part 1, Part 2 reviews why the innate-acquired distinction is under attack in contemporary philosophy of biology. Three arguments are then presented to provide a limited and pragmatic defense of the distinction: an epistemic, a conceptual, and a historical argument. If interpreted in a certain manner, and if the pragmatic goals of prevention and treatment (ideally specifying what medicine and health care is all about) are taken into account, then the innate-acquired distinction can be a useful epistemic tool. It can help, first, to understand that genetic determination does not mean fatalism, and, second, to maintain a system of checks and balances in the continuing nature-nurture debates. |
| | |
Authors:
|
Maria E Kronfeldner |
Publication Detail:
|
Type: JOURNAL ARTICLE Date: 2009-9-10 |
Journal Detail:
|
Title: Medicine studies Volume: 1 ISSN: 1876-4541 ISO Abbreviation: - Publication Date: 2009 Jun |
Date Detail:
|
Created Date: 2010-3-17 Completed Date: - Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
|
Nlm Unique ID: 101484005 Medline TA: Med Stud Country: - |
Other Details:
|
Languages: ENG Pagination: 167-181 Citation Subset: - |
Affiliation:
|
Abteilung Philosophie, Universität Bielefeld, 33051 Bielefeld, Germany. |
Export Citation:
|
APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
|
|
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Previous Document: Infestation of an owl (Bubo bubo) with Lucilia spp.
Next Document: From Utopia to Science: Challenges of Personalised Genomics Information for Health Management and He...