Carrie Buck

An Analysis on Stephan Jay Gould Buck versus Bell 274 U.S. 2000 (1927) was the United States Supreme Court ruling that upheld a statue instituting compulsory sterilization of the unfit, including the mentally retarded “for the protection and health of the state.” (Holmes) It was largely seen as an endorsement of negative eugenics which is the attempt of science to improve the human race by eliminating “defectives” from the gene pool. (Elof) Paul Lombardo argues (in N.Y.U. Law Review, April 1985, 60(30):30-62) that the Buck case was a milestone in government power over individual rights. (Lambardo) In his essay “Carrie Buck’s Daughter: a popular, quasi-scientific idea can be a powerful tool for injustice,” Stephen Jay Gould attacks the injustice of the false “science” of eugenics, and champions Carrie Buck as the example of the victims. This paper aims scrutinized Gould’s writing skills by studying and analyzing the five metaphors he used in the essay. First, the comparison to Judeo-Christian (Exodus) and pagan Greco-Roman (philosopher Plato) ideas of punishment through 3 generations which is unjust will be tackled. Second, Carrie Buck is an instrument of showing the people what injustice is. Third, the references to Adolf Hitler and the Nazi’s policy of eugenics through gas ovens will be analyzed. Fourth, the issue of the dishonesty of the American legal system and the issue regarding Oliver Wendell Holmes will prove that government powers overpower the individual rights. This should not be the case. Lastly, the metaphor from the ballad “Barbara Allen” will be talked about. At the end this paper will also examine and evaluate whether Gould succeeded or not in his argument or persuasion essay

Gould was a world renowned historian of science. (Shermer) This is why one believes that he uses metaphors that happened in history. He wanted to prove his arguments by relating to what has already happened in the past which is unique for a writer to do. The first

Cited: Darwin, C.R. "Letter 3257 — Darwin, C. R. to Fawcett, Henry, 18 Sept [1861]." Darwin Correspondence Project Database. 2 November 2010 . Elof, Axel Carlson. The Unfit: A History of a Bad Idea. Cold Spring Harbor, New York: Cold Spring Harbor Press, 2001. Friend, Celeste. "Social Contract Theory." 15 October 2004. International Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 1 November 2010 . Holmes, Oliver Wendell Jr. "BUCK V. BELL, 274 U. S. 200 (1927)." 2 May 1927. Justia US Supreme Court Center. 2010 November 1 . Lambardo, Paul. "Buck v. Bell." NYU Law Review (1985): 30-62. Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. The Basic Political Writings. Hackett Publishing Company, 1987. Shermer, Michael. ""This View of Science"." Social Studies of Science (2002): 489–525.