Eugenics
Overview
"Eugenics is a social philosophy which advocates the improvement of human hereditary traits through various forms of intervention. The purported goals have variously been to create healthier, more intelligent people, save society's resources, and lessen human suffering." [W]
Eugenics has encompassed a number of practices, some more soundly-based than others:
- selective/objective breeding (choosing reproductive pairs via objective methods)
- prenatal testing and screening
- genetic counseling
- selective birth control
- genetic engineering
"Historically, eugenics has been used as a justification for coercive state-sponsored discrimination and human rights violations, such as forced sterilization of persons with genetic defects, the killing of the institutionalized and, in some cases, genocide of races perceived as inferior." [W]
Ethics
One thing we do seem to have learned about the ethicality of seeking to influence the genetic outcome of mating is that it absolutely must be done with the full consent of those who are reproducing, and preferably at their initiative. Advocating otherwise requires advocating any of a number of unethical practices. (More should be written about this.) --Woozle 17:23, 16 January 2007 (EST)
Usage of Term
It is probably not terribly useful to discuss eugenics except as an historical philosophy, given all the bad ideas which have become associated with it (whether legitimately or otherwise). It is probably more useful, in the context of discussing the usefulness and morality of the various aspects of human improvement which eugenics attempted to promote, to discuss those things individually:
- objective breeding of humans: pretty much universally rejected within civilized society, as most people would prefer to choose their own mates – even for in-vitro fertilization. However, sperm and egg banks allow individuals to make reproductive choices relatively free from personal feelings, and objective evaluations provided to clients of those banks as part of the service would seem to be entirely ethical. Does this issue need further discussion?
- Prenatal screening, prenatal testing, genetic counseling, and selective birth control would all seem to be related.
- Genetic engineering has obvious risks to the resulting individual ("wups, sorry about the extra eyeball!"), but does it pose any inherent ethical risks?
- Are there any other aspects of eugenics which are still being looked at seriously?
Links
Reference
Sites
- Future Generations "humanitarian eugenics"
Editorials
- 2006-02-28 Eugenics doesn't work. Ask why, asshole.: attempting to improve corporate productivity through "survival of the fittest" resulted only in small-mindedly competitive individuals, and hurt productivity, when applied at now-failed corporate giant Enron.