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The Eugenics
Improving the genetic composition of the Human Race
‘’eugenics
noun
the study of how to arrange reproduction within a human population to increase the occurrence of heritable characteristics regarded as desirable. Developed largely by Sir Francis Galton as a method of improving the human race, eugenics was increasingly discredited as unscientific and racially biased during the 20th century, especially after the adoption of its doctrines by the Nazis in order to justify their treatment of Jews, disabled people, and other minority groups.’’ Definition from Oxford Languages
The eugenic movement had at heart the improvement of the genetic composition of the human race. The term Eugenics was used for the first time by the British scholar, Sir Francis Galton which means ‘well born’’. Galton was the cousin of the well known evolutionist, Charles Darwin. Upon reading Darwin’s book ‘On the Origins of Species’, where he explained that the populations evolve over the course of generations through the process of natural selection, Galton started wandering if this scientific theory applies for humans, as well as animals.
He considered that humans can contribute towards the their future by selectively breeding individuals that posses ‘ideal’ traits. Following his studies on the British upper class, he concluded that a higher status and position in the society was the result of a good genetic makeup.
Galton started studying the way in which the human intellectual, personality and moral traits tended to be shared and ran in the families. His basic argument was that talent and genius were traits that were hereditary in humans (although neither Galton, nor Darwin had a working model of this heredity). He stated that if artificial selection can be used in order to exaggerate traits in animals, one could gain similar results if such models were applied to humans.
Galton also believed that the less intelligent were more fertile than the more intelligent of his time. He did not propose any methods for selection, but believed that if people saw the importance of breeding, a solution will be found.
