I believe the term comes from computing, so it is relatively new to the language. The capabilities of a computer come from two sources: the physical machine itself (e.g. that which is hard-wired) and the software (which is not wired at all). Software has no permanence. It does not change the machine in any way other than through alterations of its volatile state that can be changed at will. It can be deleted, replaced, or modified without changing the physical machine in any way. Whatever is hard-wired cannot be so modified.

Hi there, hardwired for means something is our default setting. What we naturally do. A mother is hardwired to put her children first. A father is hardwired to protect his family. Hope that helps Jonny

I don't disagree with the others, just want to give broader context. "Hard-wired" might be used to describe a machine that is specifically designed to do something. It suggests a fixed behavior that is built into the inner workings and especially that in some way this behavior comes from "hardware" rather than "software". In the case of a human, it suggests that the behavior comes from something in our brains that comes as part of the human body/machine irrespective of any person's particular "software", which is their thoughts, personality, upbringing, etc.

It means that we evolved, are inherently ‘created’ to do something, to behave in a certain way. We are hardwired for acquisition of language, for example. The alternative is that behaviour is learned, without any prior bias towards a particular outcome. The proposition that ‘we are hardwired for altruism’ is, and probably always will be, open to debate.