Fall Semester 2009 Volume 2, Number 1 Traditionally, philosophers too have When is Something Innate? taken the concept to be meaningful. Locke argued that we are born with a blank slate free of all innate ideas. Kant replied, to the ~Robert Northcott contrary, that certain innate knowledge is necessary in order for us to interpret sen- As I look at my baby son, I can see my defining exactly what innateness is. For sory experience at all. eyes in him. (And, fortunately for him, instance, it can‟t mean something literally How, then, should we square the circle? some of his mother‟s characteristics too.) present at birth – else, say, brown eyes or On one hand, all agree that any trait is the The resemblance seems innate, but is such male facial hair would have to be put in final product of a hugely complex interac- talk just an illusion? What could it mean to the acquired rather than innate category, tion of genes and environment. On the say that some features are innate, others which would be odd. other, still it seems that some traits, such not? And yet, and yet. Notwithstanding its as eye color, are somehow more innate The division of biological traits into in- bad odor in some parts of science, in oth- than others. This sort of question provides nate versus acquired has a long history. ers innateness is still taken very seriously. fertile ground for my own area of research, Indeed, some work suggests our tendency For example, arguments rage over whether which is philosophy of science. Knowl- to make that distinction is itself innate. But Chomsky is right that our understanding of edge of the relevant science is essential – in more recent times it has come under language‟s underlying grammatical form is but not sufficient. The reason it‟s not suffi- heavy fire. After all, isn‟t every trait the innate rather than acquired. Much research cient is that conceptual issues, such as end-product of a long developmental proc- in psychiatric genetics concerns the extent what we really mean by innateness, often ess in which both genes and environment to which certain conditions, such as turn on matters that have been studied are equally essential? The contributions of schizophrenia and depression, are due to more by philosophers than by scientists. In the two factors seem hopelessly entangled genes rather than environment. And Larry this case, in particular, the key notion is and intermingled. When asked “which, Summers was forced out as president of causation. That‟s something that‟s been nature or nurture, contributes more to per- Harvard for wondering aloud whether men discussed by philosophers since the an- sonality?” the psychologist Donald Hebb were innately better than women at math. cient Greeks but it‟s not something that replied: “which contributes more to the Can it really be that all these debates are scientists usually study for its own sake. area of a rectangle, its length or its width?” about nothing? (Continued on page 2) For this sort of reason, some biologists dismiss the innate-acquired dichotomy as a naïve pre-scientific relic, much like astrol- ogy or mysterious life-spirits. Worse, given its links to a dubious political history of „master race‟ theories and so forth, it may even be dangerous. This skepticism has been reinforced by the difficulty of Inside This Issue: page Robert Northcott: When is Something Innate? .................. 1 Ronald Munson: Perpetual Stranger ............................... 3 Philosophy in the Media: ...................... 4 Gualtiero Piccinini and Brit Brogaard: Philosophy Blogs? ................................. 5 Alumni & Student News ....................... 8 University of Missouri–St. Louis Chancellor Tom George (left) presents Faculty Briefs ....................................... 9 David J. Griesedieck, teaching professor of philosophy at UMSL, with the Chancellor's Award for Excellence for Non-Tenure Track Faculty Member. Call for Papers: Fifth Annual Gateway The award was presented Sept. 30 at the J.C. Penney Conference Center. Graduate Conference .......................... 10 [Photo by: August Jennewein, UMSL] University of Missouri-St. Louis Fall Semester 2009 Page 2 Department of Philosophy Newsletter Volume 2, Number 1 (Continued from page 1) dict and so it seems that there‟s an absolute fact of the matter. It In particular, much contemporary philosophical work suggests would have taken a pretty fantastic environmental intervention to that causal claims are contextual. For example, what should I make my son‟s eyes brown rather than blue, for instance. Thus, blame for the accident – failure of the car brakes, or the icy road? outside peculiar contexts such as science fiction message boards There‟ll be one answer if or philosophy classrooms, I‟m arguing with my me- eye color is nearly always chanic, a different one if appropriately referred to as moaning about the weather. innate. Neither answer is wrong; We are now also much rather, the only mistake is to better placed to analyze the think that either alone is technical details of actual right always and every- science. For instance, are where. Which cause is statistical regressions or deemed the cause depends analyses of variance good on context. Such ideas have methods for discovering the been around a long time but relative importance of genes, have recently been devel- environment and various oped in much greater detail. subsets of these broad cate- Back to innateness. Indeed gories? Of what causal sig- all traits have both genetic nificance is a calculated and environmental causes. heritability score of 0.5 for, On the view I support, say, homosexuality? Does it whether we describe them as tell us whether or to what innate is implicitly a way of Robert Northcott with son, Andrei degree homosexuality is highlighting particular as- innate? The theories of cau- pects of this causal history. Consider my son‟s blue eye color. sation I have mentioned have consequences for these – often Given his genes, his eyes would have turned out blue under al- heated – questions. That is one thing that makes philosophy of most any environment. But change the genes, and they might science an exciting area to work in. have been brown. So it‟s the genes that matter here. I signal this So, finally, what traits are innate? The short answer is – all of by describing his eye color as innate. Obviously, much environ- them. But all of them are non-innate too. No trait gets a simple mental input is needed in order to build any eye at all. Neverthe- thumbs up or down. Rather, the innateness concept serves instead less, in context, to claim that eye color was not innate would be a as useful shorthand for making contextual claims about a trait‟s mistake, because the genes did make a difference whereas the causal history. I think the look of my son‟s eyes is indeed innate, particular environment did not. by which, in context, I mean that their resemblance to mine is a The new approach helps with less clear-cut cases. Here‟s one: result of his genes not his upbringing. In other words, sorry, son male girth tends to expand with age. Does that make the middle- – there‟s nothing any of us could have done about it. aged pot belly innate? „Yes‟ in that it occurs in a wide range of When not offering students his own version of an environ- environments and seems to have a genetic basis. „No‟ in that it mental input, Robert Northcott works on causation and its could be avoided by eating less. But really both answers have applications in science. As well as writing about innateness, he their place, just as with the multiple causes of the car accident. In has written several technical articles on methods of causal other words, the belly‟s expansion is both innate and non-innate. inference, published in both philosophical and scientific jour- We say it‟s innate if wishing to emphasize its genetic causes or nals. environmental non-causes; the other way round for non-innate. So calling it innate is sneaky shorthand for “don‟t blame the odd burger, it‟s my genes!” Putting Philosophy to Use: In fact, every trait is both innate and non-innate in this way. It‟s just that for some traits almost every context gives the same ver- Famous People with Undergraduate Degrees in Philosophy Editor and Department Chair: Stephanie A. Ross Copyeditor and designer: Nora Hendren In each issue of the newsletter, we’re adding 5 more names Department of Philosophy to the list! 599 Lucas Hall Jeopardy host Alex Trebek University of Missouri-St. Louis Writer and critic Susan Sontag One University Blvd. Composer Steve Reich St. Louis, MO 63121-4400 Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer Phone: (314)516-5631 NYC Mayor and Presidential Candidate Rudi Fax: (314)516-5462 Giuliani email: [email protected] University of Missouri-St. Louis Fall Semester 2009 Department of Philosophy Newsletter Page 3 Volume 2, Number 1 Perpetual Stranger - Ronald Munson Harold Burdz was skinny to the There are no ethical experts, but only was probably suffering from an ob- point of emaciation. people who have thought about issues structed bowel. She was not equipped to more than some others have. perform the tests needed to establish a His skin had a washed-out dusky "He was convicted of assault, but no definitive diagnosis. Once here, Mr. tinge and was almost translucent. Ex- one knows exactly what he did any Burdz received a thorough diagnostic cept for a fringe of wiry and graying more." Dr. Randall shrugged. "He's kind work-up. A colonoscopy revealed a black hair, he was bald. His hospital of a forgotten man." large cancerous mass in the lower chart listed his age as fifty-two, but he "Has his mental status changed due bowel, as well as extensive lymph-node could have been eighty-two and not to his illness?" another resident asked.