James Watson's DNA

Here are excerpts from "DNA: The Secret of Life" written in 2003 by James Watson, the co-discoverer of the DNA double helix:

In a society built on an egalitarian ideal, the notion that all men are not born equal is an anathema to many people. (p. 373)

The prevailing orthodoxy holds that the best way we can help our fellow citizens is by addressing problems with their nurture. [Yet] children will get left behind if we continue to insist that each one has the same potential for learning. (p. 398)

The tabula rasa remains the paradigm of choice among the politically entrenched defenders of some increasingly untenable views of human development. (p. 374)

This tendency to prefer explanations grounded in “nurture” over ones rooted in “nature” has served a useful social purpose in redressing generations of bigotry. Unfortunately, we have now cultivated too much of a good thing. (p. 398)

In a land of equal opportunity, where we are each free to advance as far as our wits will carry us, intelligence is a trait with profound socioeconomic implications. Smart parents not only pass on smart genes; they also tend to rear their children in ways that foster intellectual growth. (p. 379)

Many of the most important genes governing behavior will indeed turn out to be those involved in constructing … the human brain. (p. 393)

Violence … can [also] be viewed through the lens of genetics. Some people are more violent than others. That’s a fact. And violent behavior may be governed by a single gene interacting with environmental factors. (p. 391)

Does DNA knowledge make a genetic caste system inevitable? A world of congenital haves and have-nots? (p. 397)

My view is that, despite the risks, we should give serious consideration to germ-line therapy [where new genes are introduced at conception, and can be passed along to offspring]. I only hope that the many biologists who share my opinion will stand tall in the debates to come and not be intimidated by the inevitable criticism. (p. 401)

Any woman reading these words should realize that one of the most important things she can do as a potential or actual parent is to gather information on the genetic dangers facing her unborn children. (p. 402)

When discussing our genes, we seem ready to commit what philosophers call the “naturalistic fallacy,” assuming that the way nature intended is best. By centrally heating our homes and taking antibiotics when we have an infection, we carefully steer clear of the fallacy in our daily lives, but mentions of genetic improvement have us rushing to run the “nature knows best” flag up the mast. (p. 399)

Science may indeed uncover unpleasant truths, but the critical thing is that they are truths. Any effort, whether wicked or well-meaning, to conceal truth or impede its disclosure is destructive. (p. 372)

Knowledge, even that which may unsettle us, is surely to be preferred to ignorance, however blissful in the short term the latter may be. All too often, however, political anxiousness favors ignorance and its apparent safety. (p. 364)