Moving on from old dichotomies: beyond nature-nurture towards a lifeline perspective

Genetics is increasingly being used to explain human behaviours, with growing enthusiasm for what could be termed 'genetic determinism', which an ultra-Darwinist approach seeks to apply to all aspects of the human condition.

To consider the validity of the claims concerning the genetics of human behaviour and psychological distress.

A critical review of the current assumptions about the relative contributions of genetics and the environment.

Organisms are in constant interaction with their environment: that is, organisms select environments just as environments select organisms. Like organisms, environments evolve and are homeodynamic rather than homeostatic; both 'genome' and 'envirome' are abstractions from this continuous dialectic.