Biological determinism
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 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. uncountable
"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. uncountable
"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."
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
More examples"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."