Nature, Nurture; Genes or Environment; Free Will or Predestination?

It was my very first assignment at University. The topic: “Discuss the nature, nurture controversy.” It was an interesting start to my academic career. My opening effort was awarded a modest 68%, my lecturer accusing me of mild bias, though not clarifying towards which side. My later efforts were better rewarded, but I still remember this opening gambit with some affection, perhaps because the question is as unanswerable now as it was back in 1975 – oh my goodness yes, it was 50 years ago!

It doesn’t really matter if your field is medicine, genetics, politics, ethics, theology, psychology, sociology, philosophy, criminology, or at least a dozen other disciples, you find yourself coming back to it. Depending on the discipline it gets phrased a little differently, but at heart it’s the “whose fault is it” when something goes wrong, or “who to praise” when something goes right, question. You win a gold medal at the Olympics, and ask, “was it my genes or my discipline.” You land up in jail and ask, “was it my genes, or dodgy parents (or dodgy friends)?” Before I went to University I had read Julius Caesar and well remember Cassius’ lines, “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings.” Well, that might be Shakespeare’s take, but is he right?

Does it matter?

Of course it does. You take a very different view on social welfare payments if you think that everything comes back to individual effort (or lack of it) or if you readily acknowledge that wider societal forces dramatically impact your ability to secure work, or to shape your future. It makes a difference if you answer the “who is to blame” question as “he is” (pointing to an individual) or “we are” (pointing to the group). Realistically, the question is impossible to answer with genuine confidence.

It has been said that “genes load the gun, environment pulls the trigger”. It’s probably as balanced a sentiment as you are going to get. Yes, we are predisposed in different ways by our genes. It is very difficult to be a star basketball player if you never grow to more than 5ft 4in. But you can be 6ft 9in and if you are never shown a basketball, you probably won’t become one either. Equally, if you are, it takes plenty of discipline to ensure that your natural advantage strikes gold. There are lots of things that have to come together before we tick the successful box.

Theologians struggle with the same questions. Is everything pre ordained (as our Calvinist friends claim) or is there a sizeable chunk of free will in the mix, as those impacted by the Wesleyan tradition insist. Beneath the question each has an important concern. Calvinists are anxious that we don’t detract from the glory, grace and justice of God by claiming that we somehow have a role to play in our salvation. From their different stance, Wesleyans are anxious that we don’t view ourselves as passive pawns to whom things simply happen, for if we are, why are we ever responsible for anything and where is justice?

I am not going to try and solve this long standing dilemma, but for today simply want to remind us of an ancient prayer that seems to me to straddle both sides of the question. It is rightly called the “Prayer for Serenity” – “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” It seems to me that it is all there… serenity, courage and wisdom. God help me to be both serene and humble enough to recognise that there are many things that I can neither do, nor control. God grant me the courage and discipline to rise up and do the things I both can and should; and God help me to be wise enough to spot the difference. One more thing God, please help me to remember that the lines do not come out in identical places for every person, and that some things that I can manage with ease, others might struggle with greatly. And when I notice that Lord, please help me to be kind…

Nice chatting…

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