Oedipus Rex in the Genomic Era: Human Behaviour, Law and Society

by Yulia Kovas, Fatos Selita

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 that demonstrates 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.


Front Matter
Pages i-xiii
PDF
A Journey into the Genomic Era: Sophocles Will Be Our Guide…
Pages 1-15
Genes, Environments and Life Trajectories
Pages 17-43
Free Will in the Genomic Era
Pages 45-71
Prophesied Future and Redefined Past in the Genomic Era
Pages 73-110
DNA: The Greatest Text of All
Pages 111-172

Genres: Genetics

247 pages, Hardcover

Published October 31, 2021

Reviews

[Kimijo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book uses Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex and the science of human DNA to explore fundamental questions about the mind and human behavior. Bridging classical literature with modern genomics, it examines free will, fate, chance, prophecy, and the factors shaping who we are. By connecting the lessons of Oedipus to insights from the human genome, the authors offer an engaging overview of behavioral genetics that’s relevant to students and scholars in psychology, sociology, education, law, and the life sciences.