 An analysis of the vernacular concept raises a distinct set of issues. The innate/acquired distinction features in socially and ethically important discussions, for example in disputes about whether human sexual diversity is ‘innate’. Experimental work (Section 3.5) strongly suggests that the vernacular concept of innateness projects a scientifically discredited essentialism about species onto nature. This does not seem a sound basis on which to discuss such issues (Lewens 2020). Arguably, one reason that people continue to have confidence in the distinction is that they believe there are scientific experts who are capable of definitively classifying traits as innate or acquired. But as we have shown in this entry, such classifications are in reality highly problematic and there is little agreement either about whether they have scientific value or about how they should be drawn.