Darwin and eugenics

[steakyfask]

someone once said to me (who is highly religious) that Darwin was a fake who come up with the idea of evolution to promote the theory of eugenics. i looked this up and found out darwin come up with his theory long before eugenics was about, but i also found out that an English scientist called Francis Galton, who was Darwin's cousin, come up with the theory of eugenics.

 

 

im a very firm beliver in the theory of evolution, but this struck me as being a little odd....

 

 

anyone like to share their veiws on this?

[Sayonara]

Some religious people (especially Young Earth Creationists) think that if they can associate eugenics with the Nazi Party, then eugenics is bad, and that if they can then associate Darwin with eugenics, then Darwin too is bad. They then go the extra mile and suggest that this falsifies his description of Natural Selection.

 

Which is of course complete nonsense.

[Sisyphus]

someone once said to me (who is highly religious) that Darwin was a fake who come up with the idea of evolution to promote the theory of eugenics.

 

That doesn't make any sense. That's like saying I'm pretending to be a chicken because I want the eggs. If evolution was "fake," then why would he think eugenics would work?

[Moontanman]

Before we discuss eugenics i think it's important to really know what the eugenics movement was and who supported it.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenics

 

Another take on eugenics

 

http://www.accd.edu/sac/honors/main/papers02/Judge.htm

 

I find it interesting that many religious persons also supported eugenics not to mention that eugenics is not dead even today.

[steakyfask]

sorry Sisyphus, i should have chose my words more wisely, he didnt say Darwin was a fake as such, it was just stated that Dawin's theory was a complete manufactured theory to promote eugenics or social biology then he went on to say (like all religious people say) it was designed to destroy the bible.

The debate actually arose from the religious nut saying that white people are the most rasist people on the planet, therefore, as Sayonara³ stated, associating Darwin with the nazi party.

 

 

still a very interesting point, how can a person belive in eugenics but not evolution, as wikipedia says "eugenics is the study and practice of selective breeding applied to humans"

[skyhook]

I read some of books on Darwin, usually in parts. I think Darwin and his cousin are elites, or belonging to the upper class. and at his time, the lower class might be increasing. perhaps there was some social pressure.

It is said that Hitler is a fan of Charles Darwin. and might have communicated his admiration through letters. er..However I think I might have missed something because CD would have been dead by the time Hitler was around. sorry about that, Charles darwin related books are thick and I forgotten whose book I've read.

I believe in evolution.

[Mr Skeptic]

someone once said to me (who is highly religious) that Darwin was a fake who come up with the idea of evolution to promote the theory of eugenics. i looked this up and found out darwin come up with his theory long before eugenics was about, but i also found out that an English scientist called Francis Galton, who was Darwin's cousin, come up with the theory of eugenics.

 

 

im a very firm beliver in the theory of evolution, but this struck me as being a little odd....

 

 

anyone like to share their veiws on this?

 

Not true at all; however, proponents of certain forms of eugenics were huge fans of the theory of evolution.

[Kerry]

We've just run a feature on this which I found quite interesting. Who'd have thought Churchill was an advocate of eugenics

 

http://www.labnews.co.uk/laboratory_article.php/5312/5/are-we-already-creating-a-super-race?-

 

I think skyhook is right when he talks about the upper and lower classes. As the quote from Churchill in the piece says:

 

“The unnatural and increasingly rapid growth of the feeble-minded and insane classes, coupled as it is with a steady restriction among the … superior stocks, constitutes a national and race danger which it is impossible to exaggerate ... I feel that the source from which the stream of madness is fed should be cut off and sealed up before another year has passed.”

[kolenkooll]

All people die in the long run and eugenics is a way for the delusional to think they can control things that are beyond their perview. The US is, however, the greatest preveyor of violence in the history of humankind. Our invention of the atom bomb has led to humanity possibly one day destroying itself. In addition, if the rich want to get rid of the poor, who will slave for them. They are the real culprits and are weak.

 

I’ll keep this short.

 

If Darwin can be read in the light of eugenics, then the bible must also be read in the light of every nutter and psychopath that has done something terrible only to claim ‘god told me to do it’. I believe neither of these to be true.

 

Failing that, it can also be likened to a person shooting someone else and trying to blame the gun.

[vordhosbn]

/offtopic