Eugenics Ethical Issues

2642 Words11 Pages
Eugenics is a very controversial topic that has a distinct place in our past, present, and future. Eugenics is essentially the genetic manipulation of people in order to create the perfect human being. This is accomplished through a variety of means that will be further discussed throughout this paper. With improvements in science and genetic testing in the 21st century it is essential for us to understand the happenings of “old eugenics” so society doesn’t repeat the past. It can no longer be ignored, as it is an ever-growing concern. “New Eugenics” can cer-tainly provide many positives to mankind, but there are also many potential issues that must be understood and avoided. There are many ethical issues involving new eugenics and how it should…show more content…
They believed that things such as crime, alcoholism, and poverty were caused by an individual’s genetic make-up. “Therefore, social problems and “absent-minded” people became scientific research subjects in the light of eugenics” (Guvercin & Arda, 2008, p. 22). If an individual had a mental, social, or genetic de-ficiency in any way, shape, or form they were viewed to be unfit and unwanted. In the pursuit of “the perfect human being” all ethical principles were thrown out. For example, “in its infa-mous 1927 decision, Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote, it is better for all the world, instead of waiting to execute degenerate offspring for crime, or to let them starve for their imbecility, society can prevent those who are manifestly unfit from continuing their kind. Three generations of imbeciles are enough” (Black, n.d.). This shows the involvement of government in the use of eugenics. They thought it was easier to essentially eliminate an entire family line based off of research that evaluated intelligence and social behavior with no scientific justification. It was truly believed that different sterilization, marriage, and immigra-tion laws had to be put in place in order to create a superior

More about Eugenics Ethical Issues

Open Document