Question

What was the premise behind eugenics? How did eugenics explain race? What is the problem with this explanation?

Answer 1

Eugenics is a social concept advocated by Francis Galton a British explorer and natural scientist. He proposed that to improve the genetic quality of the human beings. It proposed that people with high potential should be helped to reproduce and others who are inferior should be prevented from reproduction. He based his proposal based on Darwin’s natural selection and survival of the fittest theory. Fredrick Osborne suggested higher rate of sexual reproduction among people with desired traits and sterilizing people with undesired traits. His theory was practiced by the Nazi’s in their ethnic cleansing process. It was hugely criticized as racial discrimination. Besides, who determines the desired traits?

Eugenics proposed certain races are inferior thus they should be prevented and stopped from reproducing and that explains their theory much better. They were very much concerned with establishing racial superiority but it didn’t happen. It was an evil minded theory that advocated inequality among the races.