Classical eugenics as human selection. Positive Eugenics: Singapore

What is eugenics and how did it come about? With the development of biology, humanity has tried to find new ways to increase the yield of cultivated crops and improve the performance of domestic animals. To achieve these goals, selection methods were used. At the same time, there was a growing desire in scientific circles to use the acquired skills to improve their own gene pool. Attempts to bring these ideas to life were reflected in the new doctrine - eugenics.

Basic Concepts

What is eugenics? Can this direction be called scientific, and does it have a future? There is still debate about this. Some call eugenics a pseudoscience, others call it the science of the future. For many in the genetic improvement community, the line between research and racism is too thin. This teaching intersects ethical and social norms, so it cannot be perceived only as science.

The term “eugenics” refers to scientific activities aimed at preserving and improving hereditary characteristics human body. The word is Greek origin and literally means “good kind”. Thus, eugenics is a science that studies the influence of various environmental and hereditary factors on innate qualities person. The goal of the activity is to identify negative indicators and reduce their presence to a minimum.

Many scientists in different times sought to separate external factors from genetic. However, as research has shown, this is impossible. These factors interact with each other. So, for example, climatic conditions form such properties of the body as skin pigmentation, and the society in which a person lives has a significant impact on his psyche as a whole.

Types of eugenics

It is customary to distinguish two main directions:

1. Positive eugenics. In this case, improvement of hereditary characteristics is achieved by stimulating the spread of disease-free genotypes that can be transmitted from generation to generation.

2. Negative eugenics. This direction is considered tougher and more categorical. It prevents the spread of the negative gene pool.

Positive eugenics is more benign. However, it did not become widespread, and methods for its application were never formed. The reason is that until now there is no clear understanding of how to breed and preserve a valuable gene pool.

With negative eugenics, things are much simpler. There is a rich practice of identifying undesirable hereditary qualities that can be successfully applied. Unfortunately, the experience of using these methods is quite sad. What is negative eugenics in practice? That's what I used Nazi Germany, trying to destroy asocial, in her opinion, representatives of society. In the USA and some European countries, criminals, the mentally ill and other people disliked by society were forcibly sterilized.

Background

About selection human species for the first time they started talking seriously after the publication of Darwin's theory on the origin of species. It was then that questions of evolution and the search for ways to influence it were discussed in all scientific circles.

It should be noted that ideas for improving the gene pool have existed since ancient times. For example, the ancient Greek philosopher Plato believed that defective and vicious people should not be treated, and “moral degenerates” should be executed. Weak and sickly children in Sparta and the Scandinavian countries were killed in infancy, as it was believed that they would not be able to cope with the harsh living conditions. The reformer Tsar Peter the Great even issued a decree stating that “fools who are not fit for any science or service” should not reproduce, since they did not have a “good heritage” and could not be passed on to their children.

History of origin

The questions and tasks of human eugenics were first formulated by the naturalist Francis Galton from England. He was of noble birth and related to Charles Darwin cousin. Beginning in 1863, he studied the pedigrees of noble families, trying to identify the pattern of inheritance of mental and physical characteristics by descendants. His first findings were published in 1965 in the article “Hereditary Talent and Character.” Four years later, his book “Inheriting Talent” was published.

Terms and basic provisions new science were formulated in 1883. They concerned the selection of agricultural crops, improvement of the breed of domestic animals, preservation and improvement of the human species. These aspects were described in the first book on eugenics, published that same year.

It should be noted that in Tsarist Russia similar ones were also carried out scientific research. The doctor and writer Vasily Markovich Florinsky published his work “Improvement and Degeneration” in 1866 human race».

Formation of eugenics as a science

In 1907, Francis Galton defined eugenics as the science that deals with improving the innate characteristics of a race. From that moment on, she began to deal exclusively with issues of the human gene pool. Another definition of eugenics also appeared. It is a science using methods social influence on the evolution of the human species.

Despite the fact that Galton preached positive measures for the improvement of the race, in the 20th century, negative eugenics. In 1920, the Russian Eugenics Society was formed in the USSR, in which leading geneticists and doctors of that time participated. In European countries, forced sterilization was actively used. This measure was also used in the USA.

At the beginning of the last century there appeared set phrase- Indian method. In the history of eugenics, this was the first experience of using a negative direction. The name of the method was given by the state of Indiana, where this practice was originally applied. Later it spread to other states. Since 1904, according to a law officially adopted in the United States, people “undesirable to society” were subjected to forced sterilization. These were criminals, drug addicts, alcoholics, and the mentally ill.

Eugenics in the USSR

The history of Russian eugenics began in 1920 with the founding of the Russian Eugenics Society. This group was headed by an innovative biologist, corresponding member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences Nikolai Koltsov. He was also the editor of the Russian Eugenics Journal.

Active research activities were carried out within the walls of the Society. Participants studied human phenotype and genotype. They collected Russian data family chronicles, conducted a survey of people with outstanding abilities. The purpose of these studies was to search for patterns of inheritance and acquisition of certain human abilities.

The cardinal difference between Russian eugenics and the eugenics of other countries is that in the USSR measures were not taken to sterilize and exterminate carriers of unwanted heredity. In Koltsov’s work on improving the human race, the idea of ​​​​creating a creative person (HomoCreator) was formulated. The biologist believed that the decline in birth rates artificially will lead to a negative result in improving the gene pool. The right method, in his opinion, was to create a favorable environment to support carriers of good heredity.

Geneticist Yuri Filipchenko and eugenicist Mikhail Volotsky, on the contrary, considered the eugenic experience of sterilization used in the USA to be the most successful. Psychiatrist Viktor Osipov considered alcohol to be the main factor influencing the degeneration of the Russian nation.

The scientist Serebrovsky proposed creating separate eugenics for each class. This was quite logical, because every social group had a certain set of positive and negative qualities, formed over generations. In general, he argued, to achieve the goals pursued by eugenics, it was necessary to improve the living conditions of citizens. He also proposed creating a sperm bank with samples of seminal fluid of representatives social elite for artificial insemination of women.

With Stalin coming to power, science underwent a number of changes. The society, formed in 1920, collapsed. Eugenics degenerated into medical genetics.

Science and Nazism

In the first half of the 20th century, forced sterilization was also popular in Germany. However, the eugenics measures of the Third Reich were much stricter than in other European countries. Not only sick and unreliable citizens were prohibited from having offspring. This fate befell the Gypsies and Jews. The same measures were taken regarding people with communist views. Then it was decided not only to sterilize people objectionable to the Third Reich, but also to exterminate them physically. Initially, such measures were carried out only in Germany, but later extended to the lands captured by the Nazis.

The Germans believed that such “eugenics” would prevent the degeneration of the Aryan race, of which they were the only representatives. However, this was genocide at its most brutal.

After World War II, attitudes toward eugenics changed dramatically. The shadow of fascism and the horrors that occurred under the leadership of Hitler fell heavily on her. Since that time, people who are not privy to the intricacies of science and the history of its origin have inexorably associated it exclusively with the Third Reich. This is the main reason negative attitude to science.

Eugenics problems

On Nuremberg trials Eugenist scientists of the Third Reich were classified as executioners for experiments carried out on prisoners, and the strictest taboo was imposed on the teaching itself. In addition, some of the methods proposed by eugenicists were criticized in society. In the Soviet Union, for example, it was proposed to introduce artificial insemination of women.

The main problem faced by eugenics is the lack of information about the transmission of positive and negative hereditary traits from generation to generation. There is no formula that determines or predicts whether children will have a high level of intelligence or talent in any area. It follows from this that positive eugenics is built on hypotheses and has no scientific confirmation. And the negative direction met with sharp criticism from society.

Eugenics how scientific activity began to revive many years later. Research is preferred positive direction. Modern scientists are mostly inclined to believe that this science has lost its meaning today. The set goals were never achieved, and the activity, which was initially positioned as purely scientific, was closely intertwined with the norms of ethics and morality.

Eugenics and human rights

Everyone knows where the paved road leads good intentions. This is what happened with eugenics. Science collides with morality. The fact is that the process of improvement begins with defining a standard to strive for. In this way, it is revealed good qualities and bad ones. In eugenics, a division occurred into people worthy of living and procreating, and those unworthy.

It should be noted that the number of those undesirable to society significantly exceeded the number of those who had positive heredity. After all, among them there were not only patients and criminals. Selection took place for a number of traits, which often had nothing to do with heredity. It could be religion, social affiliation, level of income.

To avoid infringement of human rights and freedoms, a number of legal measures were taken. European countries have signed conventions and declarations on this topic. According to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (2000), eugenics has become a prohibited science.

Eugenics today

IN modern world The problems of eugenics are solved by the science of genetics. Couples who want to have a child, but are afraid that the baby will develop hereditary diseases, can, with the help of specialists, analyze their data and assess the risks. Such counseling allows you to calculate the probability that the offspring will/will not have a particular defect.

Prenatal diagnostic methods are widely used. Examination of the fetus developing in the womb helps to identify most hereditary diseases and pathologies. If necessary, a woman has the opportunity to terminate her pregnancy in the early stages.

Genetic engineering is directly concerned with finding and researching ways that could improve the gene pool and rid humanity of inherited diseases.

Other eugenics

If you seriously search for information about eugenics, on the pages of information resources you can find answers that have nothing to do with science. The following phrases appear in the drop-down list: “eugenics Instagram”, “eugenics didyulya”, “eugenics singer” and the like. What do these phrases mean and what do they have to do with human selection? Absolutely none.

Evgenia Didyulya hides under the sonorous pseudonym Eugenika. "Singer. Actress. Model. TV presenter. Wonder wife" - this is what she writes about herself in social networks. IN at the moment she is involved in the DiDuLa project. In addition, she is a blogger and often appears on various talk shows.

Evgeniya has two higher education majoring in vocals, married, she has a daughter. Her husband is Valery Didulya, a famous virtuoso guitarist, composer and showman. He is also the producer of the beauty.

On her blog, Evgenika Didulya reads various sarcastic poems. The authors of these poems are director Oleg Lomovoy, online poetess Yulia Solomonova and others.

Creativity of Eugenics

The singer released her first album in the summer of 2017. It's called "Optimist". Eugenics' songs are filled with humor and simplicity of life. According to the performer herself, they fully reflect her character and outlook on life. The singer's videos are also humorous. In addition, she is not shy about appearing to the public in both revealing outfits and male image. A striking example This is illustrated by the video for Eugenika’s song “Women.”

You may be shocked after reading the title of the article. Word eugenics, which received a negative connotation due to the events of the 40s, seems far from prosperous Singapore. But is eugenics really that bad?

History of eugenics

First, let's figure it out what is eugenics. The word eugenics itself translates as “noble.” This is the doctrine of human selection, as well as ways to improve his hereditary properties. These properties are both physical and mental. This doctrine was invented and developed by the cousin of the famous Charles Darwin, Francis Galton. Initially, it was perceived only as a science of how to improve a person and was perceived quite positively, it was even popular.

Fascist ideology left its mark on this concept, as well as many cruel experiments which were carried out by Nazi scientists to achieve “racial hygiene”. Knowing these outrages, it is very difficult to perceive the word eugenics in a good way, however, do not be a victim of your prejudices. Modern science engages in eugenics and this has no similarities with Nazi torture and does not imply discrimination. Eugenics helps scientists develop methods to combat hereditary diseases or disease tendencies (for example, cancer). Such research also aims to enhance the abilities of our brains.

Positive and negative eugenics

For comparison:

Target positive eugenics - promoting the reproduction of people with characteristics that are considered valuable to society (absence of hereditary diseases, good physical development and high intelligence).

Target negative eugenics - stopping the reproduction of persons with hereditary defects, or those who are considered racially, physically or mentally handicapped in a given society.

Of course, the line between these two concepts is very thin, and in the modern world, which is so aimed at respecting the rights of all people, democratic values ​​and freedoms, it can be perceived incorrectly. But nevertheless, if you look at this topic more broadly, you can notice how much strengths has eugenics. Real example how eugenics political strategy can carry positive results — preventing the birth of children with sickle cell anemia on the island of Sardinia.

In the mid-1970s, a massive program was launched to diagnose fetuses who are likely to have this type of anemia. That is, a child who develops from such a fetus is doomed to serious illness, to prevent fatal outcome Donor blood transfusions are required every 20-30 days. It is worth noting that, of course, no one forced or even advocated abortions for such children. Parents were only given a choice - to terminate the pregnancy or not. But early diagnosis, which was provided by the state, gave them the opportunity to make this choice. As a result, the frequency of births of children with thalassemia in Sardinia has decreased by 20 times over 25 years. The remaining 5% of sick children appear with the informed consent of the parents.

Eugenics in Singapore

Eugenics as a political concept in Singapore was developed by Lee Kuan Yew. This man, better known as the Prime Minister of Singapore, who was able to make a country with the world's 3rd GDP in a few decades from a rejected part of Malaysia. I talked about this in more detail in another article, so I will not dwell on this topic in detail. But one of the policies that has also contributed to Singapore's rising standards of living and progress is positive eugenics.

WITH The country began to support those who had good physical development, high intelligence and the absence of hereditary diseases. Lee Kuan Yew ordered the creation of a powerful base for the creation of traditional families capable of raising and raising healthy and smart children. Two marriage agencies were created under the patronage of the government. One deals with educated young people, the other with everyone else. Main task marriage agencies - concluding marriages between couples of comparable social and intellectual level.

This agency not only selects a couple young man taking into account all personal characteristics, but also create conditions for meetings. The agencies operate a network of sports gyms, cafes, swimming pools, discos and cinemas. After marriage, the newlyweds receive a substantial gift from the state in the form of a loan for the purchase of housing.

On the other hand, drug addicts and illiterate women are offered sterilization, but completely voluntary, in exchange for a large sum of money. Uncertified women who have a second child pay a fine. However, if after the birth of two children such a woman goes for sterilization, she is offered quite high-quality housing for this.

This policy continues after the birth of the child. All children under 12 years of age have the same starting conditions, but those who show better success and have higher IQs are subsidized by the government to prolong their success. The state almost everywhere places emphasis on supporting education and instilling a love of learning, physical health. But I note that the conditions for this have been created in the highest level, and medicine is highly developed. Neither the poor, nor the sick, nor people with little education are left behind, they are not humiliated, but they are given a clear motive to try to improve.

I can’t say personally that I still have an unambiguously positive attitude towards eugenics. Perhaps some measures even in Singapore are not tolerant enough, but they work, and what is even more interesting is that the author of this policy is respected and will probably be honored throughout the history of Singapore.

Eugenics is the study of improving human heredity, a kind of selection that allows you to control the gene pool. It was popular at the beginning of the 20th century, these postulates were used by the Nazis Hitler's Germany, which pushed society away from them. But at the beginning of the new millennium, scientists again declared the benefits of this teaching for science.

Eugenics - what is it?

He was the first to outline the basic principles of eugenics at the end of the 19th century. English psychologist Francis Galton. In the 20th century, some governments even took note of this teaching for practical application, but the obstacles were ethical principles and the lack of high performance in practice. Eugenics is a science that defines the principles of autoselection; scientists identify several forms:

1. Biomedical. Interfering with genetics to influence survival and health in humans.
2. Discriminatory. Destruction of selected population groups.
3. Repressive. Suppression of society by forcefully imposed ideas.

Biomedical eugenics has retained its value for the future, allowing:

• avoid giving birth to children with defects;
• examine young couples for the presence of hereditary abnormalities;
• compile a bank of sperm and eggs of famous figures.

Eugenics - pros and cons

What does eugenics study? This science studies the manifestations specific features or genes in one population or another. Studies have shown that gene frequencies change when:

• mutations;
• natural or artificial selection;
• random combination of genes in a couple;
• migration.

Eugenics is not only a useful, but also a dangerous doctrine. Experience has shown that the idea of ​​​​creating a race of superhumans fascinated many scientists and activists different countries. But such a hobby became the product of genocide and violence. Researchers are trying to separate positions:

1. Positive aspect. Every year the genetic load in society increases, eugenics can help reduce it: abortion, biotesting of risk groups.
2. Negative aspect. There is still no definition of how and why defects are inherited, from which they always wanted to rid society.

Positive and negative eugenics

Statements about benefits and harms practical use These postulates formulated the following types of eugenics:

1. Positive. Improvement human race by approaching the level of the best representatives.
2. Negative. Removing carriers of hereditary defects from the gene pool.

Negative eugenics became notorious; the rulers of the United States were the first to decide to combat the degradation of humanity through violence at the beginning of the 20th century. In the state of Indiana, a law was introduced on the forced sterilization of alcoholics, mentally ill and hardened criminals; it was later called “Indian”. Over the course of 26 years, it was used in another forty states, but without great success.

Positive eugenics

Positive eugenics encourages the birth of offspring with better genes, but it did not receive a separate development program, since it was never formulated:

• clearly defining which features are desirable and which are not;
• effective methods;
• knowledge about the genetics of valuable traits.

Therefore, eugenic measures are so far limited only to attempts to prevent the transmission of severe hereditary pathologies. History has two examples of such successful application:

1. Prevention program for β-thalassemia, also called sickle cell anemia, in Sardinia.
2. Filtering of marriages in Israel is carried out by a special organization. This became necessary due to the clear manifestation in families of the Tay-Sachs gene, which is unique to Jews. It provokes the birth of seriously ill children; if such a gene is detected in a couple, they are dissuaded from getting married.

Negative eugenics

Negative eugenics has clearer postulates, since undesirable traits are much easier to identify. Their genetics have been better studied by scientists, which makes it possible to avoid such manifestations. But this direction has been tainted by violent manifestations in practice:

• the destruction of asocial elements of society in Nazi Germany;
• sterilization law;
• strict ban on marriages.

The purpose of such methods is to remove unwanted genes, but their implementation has led to thousands of personal tragedies. There is still no clear evidence whether such methods helped to weed out “genetic garbage” in the Aryan race at the beginning of the last century. But researchers recorded a decrease in the percentage of births of children with epilepsy in Sweden, when in the 18th century a law on a taboo on marriage of people with this diagnosis appeared.

Racism and eugenics

People often think of racism and eugenics as similar teachings, but they are not. Eugenics, as a science, develops methods for improving human hereditary qualities and inhibiting the degeneration of the gene pool. And at the heart of racism are statements about the inequality of certain races, only on the basis of a different skin color, hair or eye color, or belonging to a particular nationality. Health, potential - what is valued during selection by eugenics, racism completely ignores.

Ethical issues of eugenics

The problem of eugenics is called an ethical one, since preserving the lives of children with mutations and physically weakened negatively affects the gene pool. A contradiction arises: the principles of humanism protect any life, and at the same time lead to the degeneration of people. Some scientists believe that if genetic control helps rid humanity of deformities and diseases, all means are justified. Most researchers do not support such ideas of eugenics, believing that it is necessary to achieve improvement, not destruction.

Eugenics - interesting facts

Eugenics in the modern world has found application in genetic engineering– development of reduction methods. Using the basic principles of this teaching, developments are being carried out:

• in gene therapy;
• correction of the genome of eggs;
• reproductive cloning.

A competent approach created a science that was called “new eugenics.” The correct implementation of the basic principles is supported by interesting fact. Until the mid-60s of the last century, Singapore was one of poorest countries third world, but after a couple of decades it turned into a strong power. All this is thanks to social policy, special organizations created marriages based on the level of intelligence, excellent psychologists and doctors worked with young people.

Introduction

Eugenics concept

Types of eugenics

Eugenics and modernity

Conclusion

Literature

Introduction

Not so long ago in our science the words “eugenics” and “genetics” were dirty words. The curse was lifted from genetics over time, but eugenics - the science of improving the human race - remains something dubious, associated with the inhumane experiments of the Nazis and other experiments of the same kind. Eugenics is something of a sore point for humanity. Therefore, talking about it is not only interesting, but also useful.

This teaching in its modern sense originated in England, its leader was Francis Galton — Charles Darwin’s cousin. It was Galton who coined the term eugenics.

In modern science, many problems of eugenics, especially the fight against hereditary diseases, are solved within the framework of human genetics. Due to the rapid development of genetics in general and genomics in particular, eugenics as an independent science has lost its meaning.

Eugenics concept

Eugenics (from Greek - “ good kind", "thoroughbred") - the doctrine of a person’s hereditary health, as well as ways to improve his hereditary properties. In modern science, many problems of eugenics, especially the fight against hereditary diseases, are solved within the framework of human genetics.

The first person to pose this question was Francis Galton, Charles Darwin's cousin. Galton intended to make eugenics, which, in his opinion, confirmed the right of the Anglo-Saxon race to world domination, “part of the national consciousness, like a new religion.”

Plato's proposals for a eugenic structure of society are well known. He believed that children with defects or those born from defective parents should not be raised.

Types of eugenics

There are “positive” and “negative” eugenics (although the line between them is arbitrary).

Positive eugenics focuses on promoting the reproduction of people with disabilities. genetic code, not contaminated by hereditary diseases, as well as people with high intelligence.

In negative eugenics, greater attention is paid to stopping the reproduction of physically or mentally disabled people, as well as people with dangerous hereditary diseases. Negative eugenics requires that “unfit human material” no longer reproduce. From genetic data it was concluded that humans, like plants and animals, must be separated from their less useful members through forced sterilization, while only the healthiest individuals can reproduce.

Negative eugenics was widely implemented: in many countries of the world, “scientifically based” sterilization of people declared undesirable in a particular society quickly gained popularity.

In China and India, diagnosing the sex of the fetus is widely practiced and girls are often aborted. In Germany, there were Jews and Gypsies declared inferior, representatives of other political parties who threatened the political system, mentally ill people, and homosexuals; In the USA, sexual deviants and communists were subjected to sterilization and castration.

Eugenics and modernity

Pros

It is assumed that in developed countries the so-called genetic load. This may also be the result of the preservation of low-viable individuals. The second reason for the increase in genetic load is the development of medicine, which allows individuals with significant congenital genetic anomalies or diseases to reach reproductive age. These diseases were previously an obstacle to the transmission of defective genetic material to subsequent generations.

Cons

Firstly, the inheritance of many traits that are considered in modern society as negative and positive has been poorly studied.

Secondly, persons suffering from congenital somatic defects may have intellectual qualities that are valuable to society.

Conclusion

So, eugenics certainly served as one of the incentives for the emergence and development of human genetics and its important part - medical genetics. The goals set by eugenics - to free the human genotype from harmful hereditary inclinations and enrich it with genes valuable for physical and mental development - are fully relevant even now.

No matter how humane the motives of eugenics are - to make humanity healthier, more beautiful, more gifted and, ultimately, happier - there is some flaw in its very essence. It does not fit into the complex structure of human society, woven from contradictions not only biological, but also legal, social, psychological, and religious.

Literature

http://ethology.ru/

http://www.13min.ru/

http://www.53l.ru/

http://ru.wikipedia.org

As you know, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Francis Galton did not dream of breeding a “new race” when he presented the new science of eugenics to the public. Thanks to the Nazis, the reputation of eugenics was so tarnished that the word itself continues to be a dirty word. Meanwhile, this science could save people from illness, suffering and even death itself...

Eugenics with Professor Shepilevsky

And how well it all started!

At first, eugenics was received with a bang. The most outstanding people V late XIX- at the beginning of the 20th century, they willingly stood under the banner of the new science, which declared its task to improve the human race and prevent human suffering. “Because of congenital defects, our civilized human race is much weaker than that of animals of any other species, both wild and domesticated... If we spent a twentieth of the effort and money spent on improving the breed of horses and cattle in improving the human race , what a universe of genius we could create!” Both Bernard Shaw and H.G. Wells, and Winston Churchill, and Theodore Roosevelt. And how can you disagree? Everything in a person should be perfect! Chekhov's thought lives, but does not win, encountering human imperfection. For each of us is imperfect. Look around, and you will probably notice how “unequally, unevenly” nature has endowed everyone: some have been blessed with excellent brains, but have saved on health, while others have been blessed with an unusually attractive appearance, but have also been given a vile character. That’s why I admire people who combine beauty, kindness, intelligence, and strength at once. There are few of them. I would like more...

Actually, the ancients began to think about improving the human race. The same Plato (428-347 BC) in his famous “Politics” spoke about the need for state intervention in regulating marriages, explained exactly how to select spouses in order to produce physically strong children with outstanding moral principles. A famous “selection center” in ancient times was Sparta. There, babies, deprived of the physical qualities necessary for future warriors, were simply thrown off the cliff without any extra thought. It is absolutely pointless to criticize or condemn the Spartans today: such were the morals of that society, where boys were born for only one purpose - to replenish the army. By the way, this goal was achieved: and today everyone remembers that “in a healthy body - healthy mind“One Spartan is worth two”...

The best of the best

Nazi eugenics

Years flew by, centuries passed, and mere mortals were still tormented by their own imperfections and wondered how nice it would be to live surrounded by completely pleasant people, both externally and internally... And while they were suffering from Manilovism, scientists were thinking about how to achieve this in practice.

So, the first person to take this issue seriously was the English scientist - geologist, anthropologist and psychologist Sir Francis Galton. A juicy biographical detail: sir

Francis was Charles Darwin's cousin and an ardent supporter of his theory of evolution. Being an aristocrat, Galton did not go far for research materials, but began to study the genealogies of the famous noble families of England. He tried to establish patterns of inheritance of talent, intelligence and strength. Then, at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, it was generally fashionable to engage in all kinds of selection and selection. The fact that Gregor Mendel’s laws on the inheritance of traits were rediscovered played a role. Galton did not remain aloof from new and old trends. He reasoned that since to obtain a new breed it is necessary to select the best breeding animals, then targeted selection married couples should bear fruit. Moreover, it seemed so simple: in order for healthy, beautiful and talented children to be born, it is necessary that the best of the best become their parents! Actually, that is why the new science was called eugenics, which translated from Greek means “the birth of the best.” Here is what Galton himself said on this matter: “We define this word to designate a science which is by no means limited to the question of proper mating and marriage laws, but, mainly in relation to man, studies all the influences that improve the race, and these influences tend to be strengthened, and all influences which worsen the race are tended to be weakened.” Notice! There is not a word here about the need to breed “eugenically valuable populations.” And yet, very soon a split emerged in the eugenics society. And here's why. Any breeder knows: in order to develop a new, improved breed, about 95% of the “source material” - animals, birds, seeds, etc., etc. must be culled. The main postulate of any selection: the worst (weak) should not participate in reproduction . It was this pitfall that eugenics stumbled upon. This is where the new science collided head-on with human ethics and morality.

Split

It seemed to the most ardent adherents of the new science that it was not enough to improve the hereditary qualities of a person using only genetic principles. It is this kind of eugenics that is called positive. But eugenics, which was later called negative, received support in society. Her followers decided that for the sake of preserving humanity as a whole, it was necessary to prevent the appearance of offspring in people with mental and physical disabilities, among alcoholics, drug addicts, criminals. Here, as an excuse, it is worth noting that in the second half XIX - first In the decades of the 20th century, a completely civilized and enlightened society was seized by the fear of degeneration. Newspapers regularly reported on the growing number of mentally ill people and other “damage” human nature- mental, physical and moral. The data was confirmed by science. In this light ready-made solution for the improvement of humanity as a species, proposed by negative eugenics, seemed more than acceptable.

Indian method

Check-up at the Eugenics Clinic

The United States was the first to dare to fight the degradation of humanity. In 1904, Indiana passed and implemented a sterilization law. “Inferior” individuals such as alcoholics, the mentally ill and repeat criminals were forcibly sterilized. Actually, the name of the state gave the method the name Indian. I must say, it turned out to be very popular: one way or another, but in 26 years it was tested in another forty states.

What was the Indian method? Nothing to do with medieval horrors.

By by and large, it can even be called humane: the man’s seminal ducts were simply cut. That is, he could lead sex life, but lost the ability to reproduce. All socially unreliable elements had to undergo a similar procedure. “Dodgers” were mercilessly punished: jailed for three years or fined $1,000. And negative eugenics itself was popularized in all available ways: films were made, books and articles were written, special institutions were created...

With this approach, “unusable human material” was practically excluded from the reproduction process. One problem: as a rule, people who were unable to achieve social success were considered “unhealthy”. There was a substitution of concepts: they tried to heal the “ulcers of society” with eugenics - poverty, alcoholism, vagrancy, crime and prostitution.

Crazy? Castrate!

Pedagogical eugenics

The “eugenic” issue was approached differently in the Nordic countries. Beginning in the late 1920s and 1930s, governments in Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Norway and Finland pursued a deliberate policy of sterilizing the mentally disabled. As in the USA, they were sterilized, thereby depriving them of the possibility of transmitting harmful genes.

What is noteworthy is that everywhere the law on sterilization was adopted with a bang. No one—neither the public, nor scientists, nor doctors*—saw anything reprehensible in it, and therefore did not oppose it. Thus, in an atmosphere of complete consensus, a mentally retarded child, after appropriate testing, could easily be taken to closed establishment. Do you want your child back? Kindly sterilize it. The same procedure was followed with adults. They were simply informed that you were sick and therefore it was decided that you should be taken care of... And such patients, as a rule, had nowhere to go. Of course, the question of the ill health of a particular individual was determined special commission. But who was on that commission? And when and how! The fate of some “patients” was decided by the ministries of health, while the fate of others was decided by ordinary doctors, and sometimes even a pastor, together with representatives of the guardianship authorities and/or public education. So the “reliability” of the conclusions in most cases, presumably, was doubtful... But then for some reason no one thought about it. In Scandinavia, everyone was so carried away by the idea of ​​​​improving society through castration that at the end of the 1930s they were ready to follow the path of the United States and begin sterilizing prostitutes, tramps and all other “predisposed to antisocial behavior»…

A new breed of people

Everything changed dramatically in 1933, when the National Socialists came to power in Germany. Actually, it was the Nazis who hammered the final nail into the coffin of eugenics, beginning to use it to justify the racial policy of the Third Reich. All “non-Aryans” were recognized as “subhumans” and in order to improve “the breed of people were subject to destruction...

As for sterilization, which is so beloved by everyone, in Germany it took on a truly unprecedented scale: in 1942 alone, more than a thousand people were sterilized - and this was among civilian population. The number of victims of eugenics in prisons and concentration camps numbered in the tens of thousands. Nazi doctors they practiced new methods of sterilization on prisoners - radiation, chemical, mechanical, etc., etc. In essence, these were sophisticated tortures. Then, at the Nuremberg trials, the Nazi “researchers” were recognized as executioners. And a taboo was placed on innocent eugenics...

Geneticist is man's friend

Eugenics head measurement

Actually, no one has officially lifted this taboo. And yet, positive eugenics is now beginning to make a comeback. For all research related to human DNA is nothing more than manifestations of eugenics. What, for example, does decoding the human genome provide? You can find out what hereditary diseases a person is predisposed to and prevent them. Example?

Yes please! In the United States, children with amaurotic Tay-Sachs idiocy were often born among Ashkenazi Jews. This is a hereditary metabolic disease that affects nervous system child. As a result, the baby is doomed to an early death.

But the situation changed after Ashkenazi representatives began to be tested for this pathology. In the case where both spouses were carriers of the “sick” gene, fetal studies were carried out during pregnancy. And if it turned out that the embryo suffered from Tay-Sachs disease, the pregnancy was simply terminated.

Or rather, they gave parents a choice: to leave the sick child or not. The most common answer was: “No!” They refuse to continue pregnancy, as a rule, even in cases where the child is diagnosed with Down syndrome in the womb. In America, for example, more than 90% of fetuses that receive such a terrible verdict are aborted.

Video: Eugenics and population reduction programs

Meanwhile, a child suffering from Down syndrome can be born even to completely healthy parents. No one is immune from this. So, in theory, today you should visit a geneticist before conceiving a child. Especially if in families on the paternal or maternal line serious illnesses were observed. Medical genetic counseling will make it clear: are you taking risks when deciding to have a baby, or are your fears zero? In this way, you can insure yourself against many problems in the future.

In the USA, England, Sweden and Finland, future parents are already being offered to examine the karyotype - a set of chromosomes - in advance in order to identify the presence of possible chromosomal rearrangements and reduce the risk to nothing... What is this if not eugenics? What is this if not human improvement? What is this if not deliverance from suffering? What is this if not humanism?