Eugenics – 2

In 1883 in England, Darwin’s Cousin, Francis Galton, coined the term "eugenics" to describe the idea of modification of natural selection through selective breeding for the improvement of humankind. Galton came up with the word from a Greek word, Eugenes, meaning “good in birth” or “Good in stock.” Eugenics was said to be a method of promoting reproduction by individuals with ostensibly superior traits—supposedly as a way to improve the human race, and that society should promote the marriage of what he felt were the fittest individuals by providing monetary incentives. Eugenics provided two approaches, one positive and one negative. Positive eugenics promoted the breeding of good stock by careful selection of marriage and breeding partners. Negative eugenics had the goal of prohibiting marriage and breeding between so-called defective stock. More tomorrow.