Early 20th Century Eugenics as part of Modernism

1047 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Modernism

As the sun was setting on the 19th century, a new theory, called eugenics was just beginning to rise. Eugenics is the idea that human mental, moral, temperamental and physiological traits are passed down through generations, and that society should attempt to foster the reproduction of those with favorable traits and discourage or eliminate those with less than favorable traits. In the early parts of the 20th century, eugenics was put into practice across the rich world. This increase, not only in popularity but in application is best viewed when part of the greater context of modernity. Although the justification for much of the theory came from Charles Darwin’s work, it is widely considered he was not a supporter of it. No, the idea that human beings can play god and use science to change society by control of reproduction is a product of modernism and techno-nationalism. The rapid development of science led the population to believe its power was limitless, even to the extent of creating a utopian society.

First we must examine the obvious factors; evolution and heredity. Charles Darwin’s theory itself was a product of its times, drawing on developments from fields as diverse as paleontology and animal breeding. The closest predecessor to Darwin was Lamarck, who proposed that organisms passed on the adaptations they had developed in their lives to their offspring (Bowler and Morus). Darwin theorized that over time, nature had selected for the most advantageous traits by giving those best suited to survive a greater chance of reproduction. In his 1859 treatise On the Origin of Species, Darwin outlined and provided reasons arguments for this concept. However, he widely avoided mentioning human beings for fear of rejection and...

... middle of paper ...

...k up when social injustice occurred (Paul). There was great national pride and a desire to represent the technological developments of their country as superior, to represent their country as superior (Pearson).

Works Cited

Bowler, Peter J., and Iwan Rhys Morus. Making Modern Science: a Historical Survey. Chicago, Ill. [u.a.: Univ. of Chicago, 2010. Print.

Edgerton, David. "Nations." The Shock of the Old: Technology and Global History since 1900. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2007. 103-37. Print.

Fan, Fa-Ti. "Eugenics." Binghamton University, Binghamton. Lecture.

Fan, Fa-Ti. "Evolution & Genetics." Binghamton University, Binghamton. 28 Feb. 2011. Lecture.

Fan, Fa-Ti. "Evolution." Binghamton University, Binghamton. 21 May 2011. Lecture.

Paul, Diane B. Controlling Human Heredity: 1865 to the Present. Atlantic Highlands, NJ: Humanities International, 1995. Print.

Show More
Related

  • The Eugenics Movement for Criminality

    569 Words  | 2 Pages

    The eugenics movement started in the early 1900s and was adopted by doctors and the general public during the 1920s. The movement aimed to create a better society through the monitoring of genetic traits through selective heredity. Over time, eugenics took on two different views. Supporters of positive eugenics believed in promoting childbearing by a class who was “genetically superior.” On the contrary, proponents of negative eugenics tried to monitor society’s flaws through the sterilization of the “inferior.”

    Read More

  • Summary Of The American Eugenics Movement

    1071 Words  | 3 Pages

    The American Eugenics Movement was led by Charles Davenport and was a social agenda to breed out undesirable traits with an aim of racial purification. Eugenics was a used to breed out the worst and weakest to improve the genetic composition of the human race, and advocated for selective breeding to achieve this. The science of eugenics rested on simple mendelian genetics, which was a mistake because they were assuming complex behaviors could be reduced to simple mendelian genes. After Nazi Germany adopted the ideas behind the American eugenics movement to promote the Aryan race, the eugenics movement was completely discredited.

    Read More

  • Eugenics In Dorothy Roberts's Killing The Black Body

    1108 Words  | 3 Pages

    The practice of eugenics was instituted in the late nineteenth century. Its objective was to apply the rearing practices and procedures utilized as a part of plants and creatures to human procreation. Francis Galton expressed in his Essays in Eugenics that he wished to impact "the useful classes" in the public arena to put a greater amount of their DNA in the gene pool. The objective was to gather records of families who were effective by virtue of having three or more grown-up male kids who had better positions than their associates. His perspective on eugenics can best be expressed by the accompanying section:

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Eugenics In The Yellow Wallpaper By Charlotte Perkins Gilman

    1750 Words  | 4 Pages

    Eugenics, the set of beliefs and practices which aim at improving the genetic quality of the human population played a significant role in the history and culture of United States prior to its involvement in World War Two. (Wiki) Gilman is the writer of late 19th and early 20th century and during this century which is known as progressive era, Eugenics was considered a method of preserving and improving the dominant groups in the population. The idea of Eugenics was brought up by Sir Francis Galton in America. They think that by the idea of eugenics there will be a development in a society. America also made American Breeder’s Association which later on founded the Eugenics Record office, and with certain mission and, in their mission statement, they wrote: Society must protect itself; as it claims the right to deprive the murder of his life so it may also annihilate the hideous serpent of hopelessly vicious protoplasm. Here is where appropriate legislation will aid in eugenics and creating a healthier, saner society in the

    Read More

  • Eugenics Case Study

    1683 Words  | 4 Pages

    Eugenics- Eugenics is a term coined by Francis Galton in 1883 and it is the belief and practice of improving the genetic quality of the human population. This idea that one could trace hereditary problems and find solutions for them gained significant ground in addressing certain societal issues such as poor people and welfare. Two types of eugenics emerged, positive and negative, but the U.S., negative eugenics was preferred. This is the idea of destroying defectives and degenerates from the population to promote and preserve the fittest, a very social Darwinist idea. This is important to sexuality because many homosexuals were sterilized, thus creating the stigma that homosexuality was a disease that could be cured.

    Read More

  • The American Eugenics Movement

    1421 Words  | 3 Pages

    Perkins, H.F.. A Decade of Progress in Eugenics: Scientific Papers of the Third International Congress of Eugenics. 1993 Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins Company.

    Read More

  • Eugenics and Genetic Testing

    1752 Words  | 4 Pages

    The history of harmful eugenic practices, spurring from the Nazi implementations of discrimination towards biologically inferior people has given eugenics a negative stigma (1,Kitcher, 190). Genetic testing, as Kitcher sees it through a minimalistic perspective, should be restrained to aiding future children with extremely low qualities of life (2,Kitcher, 190). He believes that genetic engineering should only be used to avoid disease and illness serving the role of creating a healthier human race. He promotes laissez-faire eugenics, a “hands off” concept that corresponds to three components of eugenic practice, discrimination, coercion and division of traits. It holds the underlying works of genetic testing, accurate information, open access, and freedom of choice. Laissez-faire eugenics promises to enhance reproductive freedom preventing early child death due to genetic disease (3,Kitcher, 198). However there are dangers in Laissez-faire that Kitcher wants to avoid. The first is the historical tendency of population control, eugenics can go from avoiding suffering, to catering to a set of social values that will cause the practice of genetics to become prejudiced, insensitive and superficial. The second is that prenatal testing will become limited to the upper class, leaving the lower class with fewer options, creating biologically driven social barriers. Furthermore the decay of disability support systems due to prenatal testing can lead to an increased pressure to eliminate those unfit for society (4,Kitcher, 214).

    Read More

  • The Eugenics Movement

    1539 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the 1920s, a company in New York started a movement known as “The Eugenics Movement.” The idea of eugenics was eventually picked up by Germany, China, Peru, India and Bangladesh. The movement is still in effect till this day; however, it is not as prevalent as it once was.

    Read More

  • Atrocities Associated with the Eugenics Movement

    1243 Words  | 3 Pages

    The concept of eugenics was not initially intended to prevent overcrowding, however, it would later be used as a form of population control. Eugenics is the idea of improving society by breeding fitter people. Francis Galton was the first person to originate this term and was a major proponent of the concept during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The practice of eugenics was originally performed through the use of selective breeding. Eugenics was a progressive idea, driven by social perceptions. In fact, "many of its most strident advocates were socialist, who saw eugenics as enlightened state planning of reproduction."2 Fearing the degradation of society, the elite desired to prevent further social decay of the world by eliminating individuals who were considered unfit physically, mentally, or socially.

    Read More

  • Eugenics: An Excuse To Be A Racist Or A Means To A Better Tomorrow?

    1102 Words  | 3 Pages

    The term eugenics was coined in the late 19th century. Its goal was to apply the breeding practices and techniques used in plants and animals to human reproduction. Francis Galton stated in his Essays in Eugenics that he wished to influence "the useful classes" in society to put more of their DNA in the gene pool. The goal was to collect records of families who were successful by virtue of having three or more adult male children who have gain superior positions to their peers. His view on eugenics can best be summarized by the following passage:

    Read More

  • Genetic Determinism

    2847 Words  | 6 Pages

    Steen, R. Grant. DNA and Destiny: Nurture and Nature in Human Behavior. New York: Plenum Press, 1996.

    Read More

  • The Surrogate Mother - Womb For Rent

    1489 Words  | 3 Pages

    [7] Stock, G., and Campbell, J.. "Engineering the Human Germline: an Exploration of the Science and Ethics of Altering the Genes We Pass to Our Children, New York; Oxford University Press, 2000. back

    Read More

  • The Power of Nature and Nurture

    1557 Words  | 4 Pages

    Moore, David Scott. The Dependent Gene: The Fallacy of Nature/nurture. New York: Times, 2002. Print.

    Read More

  • Genetic Interventions and the Ethics of Enhancement of Human Beings by Julian Savulescu

    3287 Words  | 7 Pages

    Savulescu, Julian. “Genetic Interventions and the Ethics of Human Beings.” Readings in the Philosophy of Technology. Ed. David Kaplan. 2nd ed. Lanham: Roman & Littlefield, 2009. 417-430.

    Read More

  • Eugenics and Planned Parenthood

    1395 Words  | 3 Pages

    When created in 1923, the American Eugenics Society exemplified an air of reform with a seemingly positive purpose, however this cannot be further from the truth. In reality, the society polluted the air with myths of weeding out imperfections with the Galtonian ideal, the breeding of the fittest (Carison). The founder of the society, Charles Davensport , preached that those who are imperfect should be eliminated(Marks). From the school desk to the pulpit, the fallacies of the eugenics movement were forced into society. Preachers often encouraged the best to marry the best while biology professors would encourage DNA testing to find out ones fate (Selden). A...

    Read More

More about Early 20th Century Eugenics as part of Modernism

Open Document