Preview

Eugenics: the Artificial Selection

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
686 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Eugenics: the Artificial Selection
S R
August 26, 2008
Biology 340
Eugenics: The Artificial Selection In the 1800’s, well-known biologist, Charles Darwin enlightened us with his theory of evolution and natural selection. In short, natural selection states that random genetic changes transpire within an organism 's genetic code, such changes are preserved because they are valuable for survival. Darwin’s ideas came from economics applied to biology. By the late 1800’s Francis Galton, Darwin’s cousin, had thoroughly studied his cousins findings and disclosed his beliefs in biology, which he related to human beings. His philosophy was known as Eugenics. Eugenics was an idea was based on ways to control reproduction so that human race can better succeed, in other words, a revised sequel of Darwin’s natural selection, artificial selection. Galton understood that good advancement of mankind was let down by generous outreach to the underprivileged when such hard work motivated people to have more children. Galton sought after expanding his eugenics idealism from science to a policy and religion. This science was a form of perfecting the human race through improved reproduction. That alone should have scared people, however, it began to evolve, as Galton desired. Eugenicist aspired the development of advantageous characteristics and abolition of the adverse ones. Eugenics was seen as a means to resolve the combined problems because it located the cause in the flawed germ cells within the embryo of individuals of certain ethnic groups instead of focusing on the structure of society. Eugenicist alleged that inherited disorders with basic modes of inheritance could be construed from derivations of inheritance contained by families, such as polydactyl. Psychiatric disorders, such as manic depression, were also considered when researching inherited disorders. Geneticist understood that behavioral personality had the utmost impact on society. They assumed that people inherited a trait that



Cited: EugenicsArchive.org Image Archive on the American Eugenics Movement http://www.eugenicsarchive.org/eugenics/list3.pl Adams, Mark, ed. The Wellborn Science: Eugenics in Germany, France, Brazil and Russia (New York, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990 Neo Eugenics: http://neoeugenics.home.comcast.net/~neoeugenics/ Future Generations: http://www.eugenics.net/links/othrlink.html

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Although eugenics were most prominently used during the Holocaust, the exploration of eugenics actually Many believe David Starr Jordan first thought up the idea of eugenics. He was a direct student of Charles Darwin who did tremendous amounts of research on genetics, therefore Jordan was not lacking any knowledge. Jordan’s theory of eugenics was interesting; he believed that the upper class of America was being eroded by the lower class, and that selective breeding would be necessary to preserve the country’s upper crust ( DAVID STARR JORDAN CITE). One major supporter of eugenics was Alexander Graham Bell who strongly supported the marriage laws to prevent unfit children (ALEX G BELL CITE). In addition, Josef Mengele backed the theories, but he worked mainly in Auschwitz. Hitting closer to home, Harry Clay Sharp was a prison physician in Jeffersonville, Indiana. He began performing vasectomies on prisoners in 1899, which led to and Indiana Law that mandated compulsory sterilization of degenerates in 1907(HarRY CLAY SHCAP CITE). From there, the popularity of eugenics continued to grow and national committees, like the Rockefeller Foundation , funded research. The Rockefeller Foundation was in charge of the drastic decline in population(ROCKEFELLER DOINGS). With the help of all these people and many more, eugenics were on the rise and soon Hitler realized this is exactly what he needed to complete his chase for the “Master…

    • 497 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Eugenics ideology was based on improving in the human population by manipulating their genetic make-up. The process would help society achieve increased productivity and crime reduction; the results would be achieved when the undesirable and unhealthy genetic elements were to be eliminated. For example between 1890s and 1924 more than 64000 Americans, who had mental disorders, were sterilized by force. Hitler, Nazis, and other Germans believed that the German society was contaminated by unwanted elements; thus there was need to sterilize people to deal with the menace. The process basically needed to deal with the sexually aberrant, criminally minded, physically disabled and racially impure. The process will mostly improve production and improve…

    • 125 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    In his article Is Gene Therapy a Form of Eugenics, John Harris discusses the concept of Eugenics when it comes to using Gene Therapy. Harris defines Eugenics as adapting to the production of “fine” offspring, or artificially producing offspring to fit certain criteria. He stresses on how this concept should be achieved. His main argument is that we should be in favor of Eugenics when it comes to potentially saving a child from living a potential disabled life. Harris believes that his view is not wrong, but believes that it is a matter of indifference whether we call it Eugenics or not. Harris argues that Gene Therapy is ethically sound, and using Eugenics can save lives. Harris notes problems when discussing the idea of using Eugenics. First, he notes that we do not fully understand the objective of producing “fine children.” Second, we do not understand the definition of “fine” and notes the difference between what an offspring can be, and what an offspring normally is. He poses a question where he argues what the difference between removing and repairing dysfunctions is, compared to using measures to enhance the functions of a potential offspring (Eugenics) He poses a second question where he asks if Gene Therapy in general is morally acceptable.…

    • 1037 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Eugenics

    • 1142 Words
    • 5 Pages

    History of Eugenics Katie Gauthier ` Eugenics was first defined by Sir Francis Galton in the 1880’s in Britain. “Galton thought that biological inheritance of leadership qualities had determined the social status of Britain's ruling classes.” By improving the genetic quality of American people, Eugenicists were hoping to eradicate feebleminded, crime driven, promiscuous, and other “improper” individuals. Eugenicists were attempting to create a society of perfect families. Anything less than perfect would be removed from the picture. Eugenics is a controversial topic. It shaped the world, as we know it today, however, it also caused a lot of suffering that was not needed. The Eugenicists way of thinking was unnecessarily cruel and did not have the proper scientific backing to justify the actions that came from their ideas. The lack of scientific evidence, forced sterilization and the German’s extreme actions are all examples of how the Eugenicists ideas were those of ill-founded nefariousness.…

    • 1142 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Utilitarianism and Genetic Engineering In the past thirty years, humans are witnessing a huge revolution in the genetic engineering industry. Having identified most of the Human Genome, gene sequencing has become programmed and extremely fast, and laboratory techniques in molecular biology allow for in-vitro fertilization and transfer of genetic material. Gene therapy and repair based on stem cells research allows for replacement of a defected allele in the DNA, and even a whole damaged tissue in the patient. In general, it is accurate to say that genetic engineering is a controversial topic about which people tend to have strong opinions. The genetic engineering issues that mainly catch the attention of the moral community involve the pre-birth improvement of human fetuses. The ability to screen for detectable diseases is already available in the laboratories. Fertility clinics are also currently able to satisfy the need of a couple for conceiving a male or female child, following the parents’ request, but this is routine compared to the potential of genetic engineering, whose avant-garde aim is the selection of specific traits such as hair color, height and even intelligence. It is this selection that is the most fascinating upshot of advances in genetic engineering, but also the most difficult genetic issue facing the moral society.…

    • 1595 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Genetic Discrimination Based on Testing For "Harmful" Genes Eugenics is a social philosophy which advocates the improvement of human hereditary traits through various forms of intervention. The goals have been to create healthier, more intelligent people, lessen human suffering and save society 's resources. Sir Frances Galton, introduced the term "eugenics", and is regarded as the founder of the modern science eugenics (Bennett). Earlier means of achieving these goals focused on selective breeding while more modern ones focus on prenatal testing and screening, genetic counseling, birth control, in-vitro fertilization, and genetic engineering. Critics argue that eugenics is immoral and is based on or is a pseudoscience. In the past, eugenics has been used as a justification for coercive state-sponsored discrimination and severe human rights violations, such as forced sterilization (e.g. of those perceived to have mental or social defects) and even genocide. However, eugenics from the very beginning, means many different people. The term has been used to cover everything from prenatal care for mothers to forced sterilization. Consequently debate took place in the past, and takes place today, as to what exactly counts as eugenics (Paul 97).…

    • 1180 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    American Eugenics Movement

    • 1915 Words
    • 8 Pages

    The eugenics movement began in the 20th century by a man named Francis Galton. As the cousin of Charles Darwin, Galton believed that eugenics was a moral philosophy to improve humanity by encouraging the ablest and healthiest people to have more children (Carlson). This Galtonian ideal of eugenics is often thought of as positive eugenics. Eugenics can be defined as the outgrowth of human heredity aimed at "improving" the quality of the human stock (Allen and Bird). At the other end of the spectrum is what can be classified as negative eugenics and is presently in disrepute. Negative eugenics entails selective breeding in which the least able from the population is taken out of the reproduction pool to preserve humanity's best traits.…

    • 1915 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Eugenics In California

    • 1021 Words
    • 5 Pages

    1. Look up the definition of eugenics. Eugenics is the desire to improve the human gene pool by discouraging, or in some cases forcefully controlling, the reproduction of the unfit (Wellerstein pg. 29). The people branded to be "unfit", were seen as recipients of undesirable heritable characteristics. The act of forcefully restricting people of reproduction is a form of negative eugenics.…

    • 1021 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Dami Adesuyi Anthropology 230 February 26th 2013 Professor Heyaca Scientific Racisms: The Eugenics of Social Darwinism…

    • 728 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Theodore Roosevelt Eugenics

    • 14350 Words
    • 58 Pages

    Eugenics Research The word "eugenics" was coined in 1883 by British mathematician Francis Galton, who defined it as "the science of improving the stock." The eugenics movement, he said, would be dedicated to allowing "the more suitable races or strains of blood a better chance of prevailing speedily over the less suitable." The movement had its heyday from the 1890s to the 1940s, when eugenicists argued that southern Europeans, Jews, people of color, homosexuals, and people with disabilities were inferior to white, heterosexual, able-bodied Protestants of northern European descent. Eugenics made somewhat of a comeback in the 1990s with the advent of genetic in-utero testing, which some see as a new phase in the effort to "purify" society.…

    • 14350 Words
    • 58 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Galton said “the first objects of eugenics is to check the birth rate of the unfit instead of allowing them to come into being…the second object is the improvement of the race by furthering the productivity of the fit by early marriages and the healthful rearing of children.” He is also quoted as saying “…average Negroes posses too little intellect, self-reliance, and self-control to make it possible for them to sustain the burden of any respectable form of civilization without a large measure of external guidance and…

    • 2674 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    1. The Eugenics Movement was a movement that wanted to improve the human race. They had an idea that there were superior human hereditary traits as well as inferior human hereditary traits. Superior human traits involved having blue eyes, blonde hair, and light skin, all of these traits lead to assumptions that these people were intelligent as well as great athletic ability. Inferior human traits included dark skin and dark colored eyes which lead to the assumption that these people with these traits were unintelligent. The Eugenics Movement used multiple strategies to promote improvements of human hereditary traits, such as anti-miscegenation laws, birth control experimentation, and coercive sterilization. The relationship between the Eugenics…

    • 1450 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Eugenics Pros And Cons

    • 939 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Eugenics is “the study of human heredity and genetic principles for the purposes of improving the human race by limiting the proliferation of defective gene pools” (Polirstok, 2011). In other words, Davenport wanted the law to be passed to be able to sterilize the mentally ill so that they were unable to continue populating the world with other mentally ill people. Charles Davenport, the founder of the American eugenics movement, was one of many Americans that were really pushing for this new form of “science" to take over and become a popular trend among our government. Davenport believed by using eugenics that he could help rid the world of the mentally ill people so our world would be less full of crime and poor people. He believed that…

    • 939 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Katie Muterspaw Mrs. Ascoli AP English 9 October 12, 2014 Argumentative Essay: Eugenics Eugenics has been defined as “The science of improving a human population by controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable characteristics.” In other words, eugenics is a process used to rid certain societies of individuals that could potentially be considered weak, or undesirable. Eugenics is an unpopular yet extremely important, and very serious subject. The idea of whether or not Eugenics is considered good or unacceptable is controversial. I believe the latter. Throughout history, eugenics has been used in a negative way to terminate certain beings because of race, religion, and mental or physical handicaps.…

    • 681 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Genes are what code particular traits and characteristics and are the influence to health and disease. Ongoing advances are now making it available for parents to genetically modify implanted embryos aiding in the creation of ‘designer babies’. In my essay I am going to discuss the case of a British couple that will have Britain’s first designer baby. I will cover the ethical issues regarding the topic of genetic engineering and also theories of Kantian Ethics and Utilitarianism to justify if genetic engineering is morally right.…

    • 1816 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays