Synonyms
Definition
The term eugenics refers to both intellectual and political efforts at altering human heredity for the purpose of (1) decreasing the level and prevalence of perceived socially undesirable traits in a population (negative eugenics), especially if the rising level and prevalence of such traits are understood as effects of certain kinds of genetic change in a population (termed dysgenics), and/or (2) increasing the level and prevalence of perceived socially desirable traits in a population (positive eugenics).
Introduction
In 1883, Sir Francis Galton combined the prefix eu, meaning good or well, with genic or genos meaning kin or stock, to create the novel term eugenics. Eugenics thereafter became a science of particular import and a movement of deep controversy. What could be termed folk eugenic thinking can however be traced back to the writings of classical philosophers, most notably Plato in his Republic. Charles Darwin’s On...
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Woodley of Menie, M.A., Hertler, S., Sarraf, M. (2018). Eugenics. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_2187-1
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