Biological determinism encourages policymakers to attack the systemic causes of poverty rather than the effects.

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Biological determinism posits that an individual's biology (e.g. genetics, race, IQ) primarily determines their social and economic outcomes, which implies that treating the effects of poverty (e.g. poor health, underemployment) is futile without fixing the supposed biological causes. Therefore, biological determinism tends to emphasize individual behavior rather than systemic factors, making it unlikely to support policy solutions that seek to address the root causes of poverty rather than its symptomatic effects.

Biological Determinism Encourages Policymakers to Attack the Systemic Causes of Poverty