hereditarianism
- noun
- /həˌrɛdɪˈtɛrɪənɪzəm/
- Many scientists support hereditarianism as a key factor in human behavior.
Examples
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The idea of hereditarianism has faced criticism from those who emphasize the power of environment.
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The debate over hereditarianism continues in academic circles.
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Historical arguments for hereditarianism often reflected social and political beliefs of their time.
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Some psychologists have long debated the influence of hereditarianism on human intelligence.
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Many scientists argue that hereditarianism underestimates the impact of environmental factors on a person's development.
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The theory of hereditarianism suggests that genetic factors have a greater influence on intelligence than upbringing.
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Critics of hereditarianism believe that education and social influences are equally important in shaping an individual.
Antonyms
- Formal
The idea that a person's intelligence comes more from how they are raised than from genes
Surface Forms
Morphology
hereditarianism = hereditarian (transparent) = heredity + arian + ism
Formed by adding the productive ideological suffix '-ism' to 'hereditarian', a standard and semantically clear derivation.
Etymology
Hereditarianism comes from the root heredity, which means 'inheritance' or what you get from your parents, and the ending -ism, which names a belief. So, hereditarianism is the belief that traits and abilities are mainly 'passed down' in the family, which explains why the word focuses on heredity rather than environment.