[lbo-talk] Instinct

[Miles Jackson]

Charles Brown wrote:
> 
>  The notion of "underneath" merely tracks the fact that genetic and
> biological factors are in the individual prior in the course of ontogeny to
> cultural factors. The complexity of the interplay with other factors doesn't
> mean that the expression of genetic potential are not causes of behavior

As our comrade Justin has pointed out repeatedly, the expression of 
genes depends on some existing environmental conditions; by 
themselves, genes can do nothing.  This is true from the moment of 
conception.  Thus there is nothing "prior" to genetic factors 
(remember the womb is an environment too!).


> The strands woven together metaphor doesn't contradict the notion of a
> biologically independent strand that exists before the other strands in the
> ontogeny of an individual.

Is it biologically impossible for a "biologically independent strand" 
to exist prior to and independent of the environmental conditions in 
which the biological strand is expressed.  C'mon, embrace the 
dialectic here!

Miles