 Cover of the first edition | |
| Authors | Richard Lewontin Steven Rose Leon Kamin |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Subject | Sociobiology |
| Publisher | Pantheon Books |
Publication date | 1984 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover and Paperback) |
| Pages | 322 |
| ISBN | 0-14-013525-1 |
Not in Our Genes: Biology, Ideology and Human Nature is a 1984 book by the evolutionary geneticist Richard Lewontin, the neurobiologist Steven Rose, and the psychologist Leon Kamin, in which the authors criticize sociobiology and genetic determinism and advocate a socialist society. Its themes include the relationship between biology and society, the nature versus nurture debate, and the intersection of science and ideology.
The book formed part of a larger campaign against sociobiology. Its authors were praised for their criticism of IQ testing and were complimented by some for their critique of sociobiology. However, they have been criticized for misrepresenting the views of scientists such as the biologist E. O. Wilson and the ethologist Richard Dawkins, for using “determinism” and “reductionism” simply as terms of abuse, and for the influence of Marxism on their views. Critics have seen its authors' conclusions as political rather than scientific.