Eugenics
From RationalWiki
Eugenics is the study of altering human reproduction with the goal of changing the relative frequency of traits in a human population.
[edit] Origins in Brief
Eugenics was first developed in the 19th century, primarily by Francis Galton, based on over-simplified ideas about evolution and ideas about Social Darwinism which were popular at the time.
[edit] Uses
Some eugenics-based ideas were implemented both in the United States and in Europe. In the U.S., this strongly influenced immigration policy, as in the Johnson Immigration Act of 1924, which showed a preference for Northern Europeans, as they were felt to be somehow superior to Asians and South and Eastern Europeans.
The Supreme Court gave legal backing to forced sterilization using eugenic ideas in the 1927 Buck v. Bell case.
In Europe, the Nazi's made full-scale use of eugenics' ideas via mass sterilization and mass murder.
[edit] Absurdity
Eugenics is not a valid science. Most human traits are multifactorial, and simple breeding cannot reinforce or diminish their frequency.
Biologist Stephen J. Gould has written extensively on the topic, including his treatment on intelligence in The Mismeasure of Man.
Categories: Evolution | Biology | Genetics | Racism | Pseudoscience
