What Shall It Be?
page one
The studies of Libet and Soon have dumped our concept of Self on its ear! "I" no longer means the "me" it used to, and therefore "my" is no longer a stable reservoir of personal accomplishment, much less an uncontested certificate of ownership.
At our conception, a sperm and an egg join forming a single cell. Whatever potential that one cell possesses was placed within that cell by external forces. Myriad external forces guide this cell to the mother's womb where it is embedded. Again, this is accomplished through no force of Self autonomy. These procedures have been performed by external forces. All that is happening is the result of a definitive cause and effect continuum directed by the mathematic laws of physics. Whatever it is that, I, me, and my may mean, that meaning applies to this one cell. If this cell could talk it could say, "I am." It could say, "This is me." Or it could say, "These are my genes." It could not say, "I chose my genes," or, "I made me," or, "I attached my Self to this here uterine wall."
Eventually, when the mechanics of the situation determines it is appropriate, this cell divides and multiplies according to the strict genetic codes benevolent external forces placed within it at conception. The womb develops a system which provides nourishment and oxygen while filtering and removing waste products. Again, genetic codes and womb systems are all external forces. All embryonic function is driven by a plethora of forces which have their source in external entities. These entities can be categorized as either genetic, or experiential. The genetic mechanisms have their source in the external entities of a mother and a father. Experiential protocol in the early stages of development finds its source primarily in the mother's womb; an external force. This little glob of differentiating cells is not making little autonomous decisions. All activity is directed by external forces of nature. Yet, this little glob has an identity, an "I," a rudimentary sense of "me," and a whole bunch of cells which are subject to the definition of "my." "I" am growing. Every cell that is a part of "me" is "my" cell. Few would argue that the "I," "me," and "my" used here indicate any sense of Self autonomy. The "I," "me," and "my" are defined by external forces.
As the individual grows, the embryo becomes a fetus, which at birth becomes a newborn, which then becomes a toddler, a child, a teenager and then a grown-up, not necessarily an Adult. The term Adult is dependent on experience and is a pshychological term. Grown-up only indicates genetic maturity. This physical progression has been determined by the genetic code which was placed inside the original cell by the external forces recognized as the mother and the father. Throughout the individual's life, this genetic code dictatorially determines what will be and when it will be as regards the individual's physical body. Man has now mapped Homo sapiens genome. We have yet to definitively describe the mechanics of how these meticulously arranged proteins do their job, but we do know if the directives are present, the job will be done, and if the directives are not there, there is no job. At no point in this strict genetic progression has the individual made an autonomous decision which affects these externally sourced genetic directives. External forces have definitively determined the physical parameters of the individual. Thanks to decades of genetic advances, this is usually an uncontested understanding.
Do remember, all that is the result of genetic influence originated with, were caused by, external forces. From a genetic perspective then, the "I" owes its existence to an external plural "you." This thing that is "me," owes its existence to an external plural "you." Since all that the individual is has been the result of contributions from external sources and not done through any autonomous force of the individual's will, the possessive "my" is better understood as a possessive external plural "yours." When I write a song lyric, or paint a watercolor, the lyric and painting are just as much an "I," "me," "my" as the individual is an "I," "me," "my." Remember, at this point we are only considering the genetic continuum. Even with the present knowledge regarding genetics, the causal nature of genetic material is understood to be irrevocably authoritative. If it is written correctly, the job will be done correctly. If it is written incorrectly, the job will be done incorrectly. Genetic disorders are evidence of this principle. Dying ones auburn hair blond does nothing to alter the genetic determination that the individual has auburn hair. The individual simply has auburn hair which is dyed blond. Mendel helped establish our understanding of how traits are passed from one generation to the next. Our familiarity with how recessive and dominate genes interrelate has made it possible for mankind to embrace the definitive causal nature of our genetic composition.
Where genetic forces are relatively concrete, the experiential forces are difficult to isolate and define. Where genetic forces have visible chromosomes and traceable genes, experiential forces are phantoms relegated to the domain of quantum level neurological physics. Whereas genetics is understood to be intricately complex, but never-the-less predictably consistent, experiential forces are exponentially more intricate and complex and presently impossible to trace except in large obvious behaviors; that is, children born into a protestant family are likely to become a practicing protestant; a child whose parents went to college are likely to go to college. Were genetic forces understood at the same level of experiential forces, we would know the child has blue eyes, but we would not have the slightest idea why. It may very likely be that in the future, brain scientists will discover an elemental experiential component that equates to the gene, which when strung together determine an individual's behavior. Much waits to be learned regarding experiential forces. Never-the-less, with the contributions of Libet and Soon, though many may wish it to be otherwise, genetics and experience determine behavior.
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