Eugenics Movement

Synonyms

Movement for human betterment

Definition

The eugenics movement encompasses intellectual and political efforts, originating in the late nineteenth century, to raise awareness of and promote solutions to the perceived socially undesirable consequences of the propagation of genetic factors conducive to reduced population levels of health, intelligence and good character.

Introduction

The term eugenic, which came from the Greek for “good breeding,” was coined by Francis Galton in 1883. What could be termed folk eugenic thinking can however be traced back to the Ancient Greeks – most notably to the writings of Plato. The Twelve Tables of Roman Law, specifically the Fourth Table, also made provisions for infanticide on the basis of deformity and weakness. Despite this, eugenic thought did not take on the character of a sociopolitical movement until the Darwinian revolution in the mid to late nineteenth century, when the principles of eugenics were given a scientific grounding. The...