Entry tags:
Eugenics, OMG!
Why is eugenics so attractive to people, even - especially - educated people?
I'm a biologist by training, a geneticist. I know the history of eugenics. It's not particularly pretty, even before the rise of the totalitarian regime in 1930s Germany.
The 'dream' of biologically 'cleansing' the human population of 'unfit' individuals much as we might when breeding cattle is more than a question of morality. It's not wrong just because the Nazis did it, or the Americans.
The problem is two-fold. Social, and Biological.
The Biological problem is that we just don't know enough to be sure of what we're doing. It's one thing to selectively breed sheep or cattle or wheat. It's another to suggest that we can remove all genetic 'abnormalities' from human populations. We can't do it with sheep or cattle or wheat, and we've been working on those for hundreds and thousands of years.
Even biotechnology is not perfect.
The other problem is Social. We are not uniform in our belief or acceptance of what is 'normal' or 'abnormal'. We don't even necessarily accept those distinctions. Who would get to decide?
Eugenics and it's biological and sociological problems have been grist for the sci-fi/speculative fiction mill since the early days of the genre. There are more problems than solutions.
But fundamentally, if we think that the majority can - or should - choose for the minority, I highly recommend you relive the past few thousand years of human history. Because, at the end of the day, there is no fucking way the majority gets to have that much say over people - not while we even vaguely have human rights left.
War on Terror be fucked. The scary shit is happening right here. In people's heads.
I'm a biologist by training, a geneticist. I know the history of eugenics. It's not particularly pretty, even before the rise of the totalitarian regime in 1930s Germany.
The 'dream' of biologically 'cleansing' the human population of 'unfit' individuals much as we might when breeding cattle is more than a question of morality. It's not wrong just because the Nazis did it, or the Americans.
The problem is two-fold. Social, and Biological.
The Biological problem is that we just don't know enough to be sure of what we're doing. It's one thing to selectively breed sheep or cattle or wheat. It's another to suggest that we can remove all genetic 'abnormalities' from human populations. We can't do it with sheep or cattle or wheat, and we've been working on those for hundreds and thousands of years.
Even biotechnology is not perfect.
The other problem is Social. We are not uniform in our belief or acceptance of what is 'normal' or 'abnormal'. We don't even necessarily accept those distinctions. Who would get to decide?
Eugenics and it's biological and sociological problems have been grist for the sci-fi/speculative fiction mill since the early days of the genre. There are more problems than solutions.
But fundamentally, if we think that the majority can - or should - choose for the minority, I highly recommend you relive the past few thousand years of human history. Because, at the end of the day, there is no fucking way the majority gets to have that much say over people - not while we even vaguely have human rights left.
War on Terror be fucked. The scary shit is happening right here. In people's heads.
Entry tags:
Eugenics, OMG!
Why is eugenics so attractive to people, even - especially - educated people?
I'm a biologist by training, a geneticist. I know the history of eugenics. It's not particularly pretty, even before the rise of the totalitarian regime in 1930s Germany.
The 'dream' of biologically 'cleansing' the human population of 'unfit' individuals much as we might when breeding cattle is more than a question of morality. It's not wrong just because the Nazis did it, or the Americans.
The problem is two-fold. Social, and Biological.
The Biological problem is that we just don't know enough to be sure of what we're doing. It's one thing to selectively breed sheep or cattle or wheat. It's another to suggest that we can remove all genetic 'abnormalities' from human populations. We can't do it with sheep or cattle or wheat, and we've been working on those for hundreds and thousands of years.
Even biotechnology is not perfect.
The other problem is Social. We are not uniform in our belief or acceptance of what is 'normal' or 'abnormal'. We don't even necessarily accept those distinctions. Who would get to decide?
Eugenics and it's biological and sociological problems have been grist for the sci-fi/speculative fiction mill since the early days of the genre. There are more problems than solutions.
But fundamentally, if we think that the majority can - or should - choose for the minority, I highly recommend you relive the past few thousand years of human history. Because, at the end of the day, there is no fucking way the majority gets to have that much say over people - not while we even vaguely have human rights left.
War on Terror be fucked. The scary shit is happening right here. In people's heads.
I'm a biologist by training, a geneticist. I know the history of eugenics. It's not particularly pretty, even before the rise of the totalitarian regime in 1930s Germany.
The 'dream' of biologically 'cleansing' the human population of 'unfit' individuals much as we might when breeding cattle is more than a question of morality. It's not wrong just because the Nazis did it, or the Americans.
The problem is two-fold. Social, and Biological.
The Biological problem is that we just don't know enough to be sure of what we're doing. It's one thing to selectively breed sheep or cattle or wheat. It's another to suggest that we can remove all genetic 'abnormalities' from human populations. We can't do it with sheep or cattle or wheat, and we've been working on those for hundreds and thousands of years.
Even biotechnology is not perfect.
The other problem is Social. We are not uniform in our belief or acceptance of what is 'normal' or 'abnormal'. We don't even necessarily accept those distinctions. Who would get to decide?
Eugenics and it's biological and sociological problems have been grist for the sci-fi/speculative fiction mill since the early days of the genre. There are more problems than solutions.
But fundamentally, if we think that the majority can - or should - choose for the minority, I highly recommend you relive the past few thousand years of human history. Because, at the end of the day, there is no fucking way the majority gets to have that much say over people - not while we even vaguely have human rights left.
War on Terror be fucked. The scary shit is happening right here. In people's heads.