Eugenics, Research Paper Example

Introduction

The concept of ‘eugenics’ was first derived by the cousin of Charles Darwin, a person called Sir Francis Galton. He was the 19^th Century inventor of composite photography. He stated that the practice of eugenics was the elimination of undesirable biological traits for the purpose of selective breeding in order to create an improved organism or species. The first official eugenics office was opened in Cold Harbor Springs, NY in 1910 by the affluent Harriman and Kellogg families. (Sommer)

The Moral dilemma

In as early as 1925 German officials were contacting the US Government to find out more about sterilization law, at that time they coined the phrase of ‘racial hygiene’. During the Second World War the Nazi regime were notorious for their process of ethnic cleansing and trying to create an Aryan Master Race. It is with great irony that the horrific work of Dr. Joseph Mengele, as carried out in the Nazi concentration death camps, originated from an idea in California (USA). The concept of cultivating a Nordic white, blue eyed blond haired race of people. (Black). The racism classification of eugenics never fully disappeared from the USA. And in 1939 the American Birth Control Federation designated a ‘negro project’ with the aims of reducing the breeding of blacks in the Southern US States.

It was after World War 2 and the atrocities perpetuated by the Nazis under the term ‘eugenics’ that largely ceased the movement on ethical, moral and scientific grounds. There was also a strong religious movement in the USA that denounced this on spiritual grounds

Conclusion

The concept of eugenics today remains a controversial subject. Much of the modern day thinking has been geared towards that of birth control, gene manipulation for introducing desired traits into individuals and as a means of combatting mental illness. It’s a complex subject matter, consider “disability advocates now state that 92% of fetuses diagnosed with down syndrome are aborted (The Special Parent).” One might consider this the practice of eugenics and as such variations on this controversial subject are likely to fuel debates in the years to come.

Works Cited

Black, Edwin. The Horrifying American Roots of Nazi Eugenics. 25 11 2003. 25 2 2012 <http://hnn.us/articles/1796.html>.

Sommer, Emily de Araujo and Lucia. “A summary History of Eugenic Theories and Practices in the USA.” Domain Errors 2012: 165-168.

The Special Parent. Eugenics in today’s society. 1 5 2008. 24 2 2012 <http://thespecialparent.com/2008/05/01/eugenics-in-todays-society/>.