Eugenics is the improvement of the human population by controlled breeding. With that definition many things can be put under the category of Eugenics. Social Darwinism though, is the opposite of Eugenics. It is a theory that human population is based off of survival of the fittest and natural selection. Nazism is something that can be categorized under Eugenics because the beliefs of Germany during that time period was that the Aryan race was the best and therefore he selected those he believed to be of pure German descent and allowed them to breed and either killed those that he did not want to have children or placed them into concentration camps. He believed that the Aryan race was the best way to improve the human population and so
The ideology believed that there are some races or groups which inherently gifted by the intelligence, beauty and integrity. The people that located in the top of hierarchy is Aryans, according to Hitler. They
After the fall of the Nazis in the 1940s, eugenics continued to impact the lives of those in the United States negatively up until the 1970s. It was not due to the need to be “superior”, but to be able to control reproduction by increasing the top members and decreasing the lower members. The movement took place mainly in the East Coast during the Progressive Era, reaching its climax in the 1920s and 1930s with immigration control, marriage laws, and sterilization of those who were considered dangerous to the society. Due to the Nazis, their rise to power, and the horrifying Holocaust, it had formed the movements in the United States.
HISTORY 15200 - EXAM 1 - Akanksha Tripathy How did William Graham Sumner justify Social Darwinism? How was this ideology used in relation to Gilded Age economics? Social Darwinism is based on the theories of evolution developed by British naturalist Charles Darwin.
Darwinists in turn, believed biology to be destiny and that if one's ancestors were unfit their children would be as well. Much like in evolution, Spencer assumed that the unfit populations would decline overtime due to their failure to compete, however paranoia led some Americans to speed up this process, introducing eugenics. Eugenics were supposed to improve men, ridding the undesirable traits of the unfit and changing genetic structure to create more fit individuals. The Eugenics movement in America took people of color, the mentally ill or disabled, LGBTQ individuals, and other members of society deemed unfit, and conducted experimentation ranging from forced breeding, involuntary sterilization, or institutionalization on them. Although the movement was eventually stomped out, it violated thousands of
He believed that cultures should work together for the betterment of the world, and that races should be so connected to each other that they would be willing to die
“They (eugenicists) believe that human beings are inherently no different than animals, and therefore we can and should be bred like animals.” Eugenicists think that since we humans and animals are both mammals, that we can both endure the same dangerous tests. The results will be different for different animals and humans. It is true that the human race is animals, but in no way should we be treated as animals. Eugenicists use the same tests that are used on cows for testing as they do for humans.
During early colonization Europeans felt that non-Europeans lacked knowledge but were still worthy of respect, later we see a shift to imperialism and a more strengthened view of European superiority. Europeans discovered new lands and created several instances of interaction between Europeans and non-Europeans lasting from the mid 1700s to early 1900s. Early interactions were widely influenced by Enlightenment ideals that created an attitude of respect from the Europeans to non-Europeans. However, European attitudes towards non-Europeans shifted from cautious regard to extreme feelings of superiority. This change was also brought on by ideas such as social Darwinism.
He strongly believes that the Aryans are supreme in social and racial position by saying that even the “Nature” proves this assertion. Hitler contends, “Every animal mates only with a member of
But no theories where as popular with the Nazis as Hebert Spencer’s Social Darwinism theory and Sir Francis Galton’s Eugenics theory. Social Darwinism is defined as “..study of human society, specifically a theory in sociology that
The interactions of Europeans outside of Europe increased steadily. With the discovery of vast non-European goods, their economic nature had been successful. Interaction between European and non-Europeans lasting from the late 1700s to early 1900s, attitudes greatly varied due to intellectual and cultural European trends that altered their point of view. European attitudes towards non-Europeans changed from cautious respect to a belief of superiority due to changes in intellectual thought inspired by nationalism, local dominion, and an idea of superiority over another nation. The rise of nationalism created a condescending and disrespectful European view towards non-Europeans in the time period of 1710-1910.
Similar to the middle class, Hitler also blamed the Jews for many of the problems that occurred at the time. As a result, the German’s supported the idea of the Final Solution. The Final Solution was the Nazi’s attempt to create the perfect Aryan race by annihilating the Jews. Through Hitler’s attempts to create a unified, perfect Aryan race by exterminating the common enemy, Jews, he was supported by the German’s. In document three, we see how appealing Hitler was in his speeches.
Eugenics is the science of using artificial selection to improve genetic features of the population. It is thought that improvement of the human race can be seen through sterilization of people who exhibit undesirable traits and selective breeding. Often called Social Darwinism, the concept was widely accepted during the time of World War I. It quickly became a taboo after World War II when Nazi Germany used it as an excuse for genocide. The thought of improving the human race by manipulating who is allowed to breed can either be appalling or compelling.
Social Darwinism is the result of applying Charles Darwin’s theories of evolution to human society, and one of the forefront Social Darwinists was none other than William Graham Sumner. In general, the concept of Social Darwinism has many pros such as “breeding” out weakness and disease, supporting the strong, and encouraging the development of a more advanced society. It also as many disadvantages, however, such as a smaller gene pool, hindering the weak, and controlling who gets to have children. Using the writings of both Darwin and Sumner, these pros and cons will be explored to prove that the negatives of Social Darwinism outweigh the positives. To begin, the first pro of Social Darwinism is the elimination of weakness and disease.
Eugenics or “good breeding” is meant to improve the human race through the gene pool using various methods. Similar to designer babies, the process could be used for good, but like Colin Tudge points out, “…although guns and bombs can be used as agents of peace, [humans] should not be overly surprised when in practice they are used to make war” (Tudge 282). Eugenics can be performed simply by regulating who and who cannot mate. It can also be done by sterilization, a procedure that permanently blocks pregnancy in a woman, which was a reality for many. The most famous account was performed by Germany, specifically the Nazis, during WWII, when 400,000 women were sterilized (Tudge 284).
Eugenics The term eugenics was coined in 1883 by Francis Galton. He defined it as the study of “the conditions under which men of a high type are produced” and also as “the science which deals with all influences that improve the inborn qualities of a race”. However, it is not just a field of study and, could be taken as a social movement or policy as well. “Eugenics” may refer to the theory that infers hereditable intelligence and fortune which are possessed by the wealthy, successful and intelligent were made as a result of their good selective breeding, and that the lower classes would remain so because they continued to breed with other poor people from lower social classes or casts. Eugenics could be popular amongst people with a vested