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Originally Posted by Lightkeeper
We do store tendencies in our genes. That's a good question. What do you think Travis, does our knowledge effect our genetic makeup?
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Biologically, no, not to a great extent anyway. Downward causation is rare. Its like asking does increased biological complexity affect the physical components. Not beyond the extent that it uses them. But the reverse is certainly true, changes in physical makeup can drastically alter the way biological complexity evolves. Biological complexity can drastically alter the scope of intellectual complexity.
That said, the deeper structures can "act upon" the lower structures. So, intellectual activity can produce genetic engineering which is the intellect acting upon the biological. This may produce a mutation that will in turn have to see if it can adapt and survive within the larger biospheric backdrop. If it does, then you do have an intellectual interferrence with our genetic makeup, but this is not the same as saying the very context of the nature of our intellect changes our genetic makeup.
But, there is one other possibility. Systems do co-evolve where it is impossible to say one is the cause of the other. For example, did larger brain mass simply evolve in early humans which allowed for greater expansions into intellect, or did early humans innovate first which in turn stimulated new brain matter growth? The brain is structured in a triune system starting with a reptilian-like brainstem, a paleo-mammilian like creebrum, and finally the complex corpus callosum. So, you can actually see the advancement in brain size and power almost as a geologist can determine epochs in the rocks. So, I do think co-evolution is possible and I leave it to pure materialists and pure gnostics to battle whether one is the cause of the other. I think the give rise to one another.
-TC