SOCIOL 3GG3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Gregor Mendel, Miscegenation, Heterosis

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOCIOL 3GG3
• Professor: Rhona Shaw

Document Summary

Early beginnings of eugenic philosophy mid-1860s - europe. Mysteries of genetics unraveled by collective works of: charles darwin, gregor mendel & herbert spencer, da(cid:396)(cid:449)i(cid:374)(cid:859)s (cid:858)(cid:374)atu(cid:396)al sele(cid:272)tio(cid:374)(cid:859) t(cid:396)a(cid:374)slated i(cid:374)fo (cid:858)su(cid:396)(cid:448)i(cid:448)al of the fittest(cid:859) (cid:271)y. Spencer a political conservative philosopher: against government funded social welfare programs, governments should not be responsible for wellbeing of inferior members of society - took resources away from the worthy. His ethos te(cid:396)(cid:373)ed (cid:858) o(cid:272)ial da(cid:396)(cid:449)i(cid:374)is(cid:373)(cid:859) increased popularity late 19thc: natural laws based on biology formed ideological framework for eugenics movement term 1st coined by francis galton 1883. Defined broadly as: (cid:862)the s(cid:272)ie(cid:374)(cid:272)e (cid:449)hi(cid:272)h deals (cid:449)ith all i(cid:374)flue(cid:374)(cid:272)es that i(cid:373)p(cid:396)o(cid:448)e the i(cid:374)(cid:271)o(cid:396)(cid:374) (cid:395)ualities of (cid:396)a(cid:272)e(cid:863) & those that (cid:862)de(cid:448)elop the(cid:373) to the ut(cid:373)ost ad(cid:448)a(cid:374)tage(cid:863) Humanity weakened through congenital imperfection - more so than any other species wild or domestic. Promoter of what (cid:449)ould (cid:271)e (cid:272)alled (cid:858)positi(cid:448)e euge(cid:374)i(cid:272)s(cid:859) Promotion of increased rates of sexual reproduction among individuals with desires traits.