"Is 'genetic determinism' empirically valid, and is it essential to the "Modern Synth

The OP uses the expression "direct, immediate and compelling efficient cause." That's a seriously outdated notion, inconsistent with what we know from modern science (or even from classical Newtonian science).As best I can tell, the thread originator is trying to demonstrate what can be proved from faulty premises (i.e. premises based on that outdated notion of causation). The responders are not accepting the faulty premises.The overall result is that people are talking past one another. No real discussion is going on.Edited by nwr, : spelling