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v.16, n.1, p.157-170, jan.-mar. 2009 157
Human action in a Genomic Era
Recebido para publicação em novembro de 2007.
Aprovado para publicação em maio de 2008.
Tatiana Gomes Rotondaro
Professora do Departamento de Sociologia
Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Campinas
Rua Paula Freitas, 19/508
22040-010 Rio de Janeiro – RJ – Brasil
[email protected]
Human action in a
Genomic Era: debates
on human nature
Ação humana na Era do
Genoma: debates sobre a
natureza humana
ROTONDARO, Tatiana Gomes. Human
action in a Genomic Era: debates on
human nature. História, Ciências,
Saúde – Manguinhos , Rio de Janeiro,
v.16, n.1, jan.-mar. 2009, p.157-170.
Abstract
The supposed properties of ‘genes’
have led natural scientists to claim
authority to explain the reasons of
human action, behavior, and even
human nature, which has traditionally
been the object of study of the
humanities. The aim of this paper is to
discuss the possibilities of sociological
theory dealing with the biological
reductionism that establishes the strict
articulation between ‘human nature’
and ‘human action’, presented in
several speeches and papers by
scientists and journalists and supported
by features of ‘genes’. I intend to argue
that sociological theories may broaden
their scope of analysis by
encompassing biological dimensions,
which does not necessarily mean
adopting a biological reductionist
approach.
Keywords: social theory; human
action; human nature; genomics;
genetics.
Resumo
As supostas propriedades dos ‘genes’ levam
os cientistas naturais a reivindicar
autoridade para explicar as razões de atos,
comportamentos e até a natureza humana,
tradicional objeto de estudo das ciências
humanas. O objetivo deste artigo é discutir
as possibilidades de a teoria sociológica
lidar com o reducionismo biológico, que
estabelece uma articulação exata entre
‘natureza humana’ e ‘ação humana’. Tal
reducionismo está presente em discursos e
artigos de cientistas e jornalistas, e é
embasado por características dos ‘genes’.
Argumento que as teorias sociológicas
podem ampliar suas possibilidades de
análise se incorporarem dimensões
biológicas, o que não implica
necessariamente adotar uma abordagem
reducionista.
Palavras-chave: teoria social; ação humana;
natureza humana; genoma; genética.

158 História, Ciências, Saúde – Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro
Tatiana Gomes Rotondaro
T
he problem of ‘human action’ and the relationship between ‘structure’ and ‘agency’
have rightly come to be seen as the basic issue in modern social theory (Archer, 1988;
Giddens, 1984; Domingues, 1995). The promises of individual improvements through
biotechnology and genomic and genetic developments, especially as broadcast by the
media, have engendered a series of questions and speculations about the impact of these
technologies on human agency, as well as about the possibility of new constraints over
individuals. The urgent need to understand what these developments have represented to
humankind has frequently forwarded the debate of the classic problem of human nature.