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    The Causal Process Account's clean distinction between he... — Carmelics
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    Challenges→Founders of a new population can constitute an indiscriminate sample of the whole original population even if they all originate from the geographic edge of that population

    The Causal Process Account's clean distinction between heritable and non-heritable variation presupposes a modularity of causal factors that actual population genetics does not support.

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    Reasons For

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    Reason for
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    • 1.Gene-environment interactions are ubiquitous; identical genotypes produce different phenotypes across environments, violating clean heritable/non-heritable separation.
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    • 2.Epigenetic mechanisms allow environmental factors to alter gene expression without changing DNA sequence, creating inheritance patterns that blur genetic/environmental boundaries.
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    • 3.Pleiotropy means single genes affect multiple traits through different pathways, making it impossible to isolate purely genetic contributions to specific phenotypic variation.
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    Reasons Against

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    Reason against
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    • 1.The CPA's distinction reflects statistical methodology (partitioning variance), not metaphysical claims about causal modularity—it remains valid within its analytical scope.
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    • 2.Gene-environment interactions don't eliminate heritability estimates; they explain residual variation while maintaining the conceptual distinction between genetic and environmental factors.
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    Key Terms

    Heritable variation(as used in genetics and heredity)
    Differences between individuals that can be passed down through genes from parents to children, rather than caused by environment or choice.
    Modularity of causal factors(as used in philosophy of science)
    The idea that different causes operate independently from each other, like separate building blocks that don't interact.
    Non-heritable variation(as used in genetics)
    Differences between individuals that come from their environment or life experiences rather than genes, and cannot be passed to offspring.
    Population genetics(as used in biology and philosophy of science)
    The scientific study of how gene versions (alleles) spread through groups of organisms and change over time.
    Presupposes(as describing what Plantinga's argument takes for granted)
    Assumes something to be true without proving it—like how an argument might presuppose that logic works, without first arguing that logic is valid.
    causal process account(as used in metaphysics and philosophy of causation)
    A philosophical explanation of causation that focuses on physical processes or connections between events, rather than just whether one thing can influence another.

    Connections

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    Causation1 linked

    Related

    Epigenetic mechanisms allow environmental factors to alter gene expression witho...Founders of a new population can constitute an indiscriminate sample of the whol...Gene-environment interactions are ubiquitous; identical genotypes produce differ...Gene-environment interactions don't eliminate heritability estimates; they expla...

    Details

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    2 (1 for, 1 against)
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    Pleiotropy means single genes affect multiple traits through different pathways,...The CPA's distinction reflects statistical methodology (partitioning variance), ...