biological determinism

English

Noun

biological determinism (uncountable)

1. The hypothesis that biological factors such as an organism's genes (as opposed to social or environmental factors) determine the majority of psychological and behavioural traits.
   • 1982 April 15, Donna Warnock, “Feminism and Militarism: Can the Peace Movement Reach Out?”, in Win:

     Some of the definitions of feminism floating around the peace movement these days sound like little more than a call to validate Victorian cultural femininity. 'Women are peacemakers, men are warriors. […] Feminism is about love and nurturance. As mothers we know about that.' This is biological determinism.

2. The interpretation of humans and human life from a strictly biological point of view.
   • 1983 February 5, Rhonda Copelon, quotee, “Roe v. Wade: The Challenge of the Next Decade”, in Gay Community News, volume 10, number 28, page 5:

     Roe V. Wade: a flawed, but revolutionary pronouncement, the first real break in the prison of biological determinism that has kept women in their place.

See also

• biologism
• genetic determinism
• lookism