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Artículos

Vol. 17 No. 1 (2026)

Moderate innatism and the concept of human nature

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20451536
Submitted
November 11, 2025
Published
2026-06-01

Abstract

This article examines the concept of human nature through the lens of moderate innatism, contrasting it with both radical innatism and strong culturalist perspectives. It argues that while radical approaches—such as those in Evolutionary Psychology—postulate genetically determined, universal behavioral traits, moderate innatism proposes the existence of innate psychological mechanisms that are indirect and potential in their influence. These psychological mechanisms can be modulated, regulated, or even inhibited by higher-order processes such as conditioning and deliberation. The result is a deflated, pluralistic, and causal-essentialist conception of human nature, which accounts for behavioral diversity while acknowledging the role of evolved predispositions. This framework avoids the pitfalls of genetic determinism and aligns with contemporary evolutionary and neuroscientific evidence, offering a nuanced middle ground in the enduring nature-versus-culture debate.

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