Oedipus Rex in the Genomic Era

Human Behaviour, Law and Society
1. Auflage 2021
ISBN: 978-1-349-96047-7
Verlag: Palgrave Macmillan UK

Buch, Englisch, 234 Seiten, Format (B × H): 153 mm x 216 mm, Gewicht: 438 g

This book explores the answers to fundamental questions about the human mind and human behaviour with the help of two ancient texts. The first is Oedipus Rex (Oedipus Tyrannus) by Sophocles, written in the 5th century BCE. The second is human DNA, with its origins around 4 billion years ago, and continuously revised by chance and evolution. With Sophocles as a guide, the authors take a journey into the Genomic era, an age marked by ever-expanding insights into the human genome. Over the course of this journey, the book explores themes of free will, fate, and chance; prediction, misinterpretation, and the burden that comes with knowledge of the future; self-fulfilling and self-defeating prophecies; the forces that contribute to similarities and differences among people; roots and lineage; and the judgement of oneself and others.

Using Oedipus Rex as its lens, this novel work provides an engaging overview of behavioural genetics thatdemonstrates its relevance across the humanities and the social and life sciences. It will appeal in particular to students and scholars of genetics, education, psychology, sociology, and law.

Zielgruppe

Research

Autoren/Hrsg.

Selita, Fatos

Kovas, Yulia

Fachgebiete

• Naturwissenschaften Biowissenschaften Biowissenschaften Genetik und Genomik (nichtmedizinisch)
• Geisteswissenschaften Literaturwissenschaft Klassische Literaturwissenschaft
• Rechtswissenschaften Recht, Rechtswissenschaft Allgemein Rechtsgeschichte, Recht der Antike
• Geisteswissenschaften Philosophie Rechtsphilosophie, Rechtsethik
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Spezielle Soziologie Rechtssoziologie
• Naturwissenschaften Biowissenschaften Biowissenschaften Neurobiologie, Verhaltensbiologie

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. A journey into the Genomic Era. Sophocles will be our guide…- 2. Genes, environments and life trajectories.- 3. Free will in the genomic era.- 4. Prophesised future and redefined past in the genomic era.- 5. DNA – the greatest text of all.

Über Autor(innen)

Yulia Kovas is Professor of Genetics and Psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London, UK and Visiting Professor at New York University London, UK; Tomsk State University, Russia; and other universities. She is director and advisor of several international research laboratories.

Fatos Selita is an English Barrister and a New York State Attorney and Counselor at Law. He is Lecturer at Goldsmiths, University of London, UK and Tomsk State University, Russia, and Visiting Lecturer at other universities.