Morgan Rossi

December 3, 2010

An Argument for Eugenics

Human beings have discovered a way to extinguish all human weakness. We have

discovered a way to end all human shortcomings that have continuously prevailed through the

existence of humankind, causing unimaginable amounts of pain and suffering. The solution?

Eugenics.

In 1884, Sir Francis Galton, cousin of Charles Darwin, introduced the term eugenics to

the world . When he coined the word he had intended for its legacy to be the continuing study of

“the betterment of mankind”. He illustrates this when he chooses the word eugenics as the name

for the science, deriving from the Greek “good” and “birth”. Today the practice is surrounded by

controversy and strong opposition on both sides of the issue. The present reformative definition

that is agreed upon in the eugenics of genetic engineering is the “scientific alteration of the

structure of genetic material in a living organism” or more specifically, the physical removal or

replacement of cells in an embryo or in germ cells to correspond to desired traits. Genetic

intervention affects germ (or reproductive cells) and somatic cells (all other cells in the body)

and therefore the modification can include gender or heredity. Eugenics attempts to create

desired hereditary characteristics through prenatal screening.

Eugenics could be considered a scientific miracle. A main reason someone may gravitate

toward the use of eugenics, is because it may exist as a way to eliminate disease in future

offspring. With recent scientific advancements, it may be possible for eugenics to substantially

help those with debilitating diseases and traits for which a cure has not yet been found. By

screening for diseases in the embryo while it is still in developing stages, scientists can

predetermine or predict the likelihood of an impairment before it has a chance to manifest itself
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in the natal stages. Couples who have been genetically predisposed to some sort of ‘bad gene’

that may effect their future children have hope that their son or daughter can be born disease free.

These couples may have believed a family was impossible because of the risk of passing along

an inherited defect. People who carry genes with precarious diseases and traits could have

children born without them. Eugenics could help genetically inopportune families who are pre

disposed to these unwanted genetic diseases and disabilities.

Many may argue that using eugenics to eliminate the chance of defected genes is immoral

because it is religiously unethical because only God should have control over the creation of

human beings. This argument can be countered by pointing out that things that make are life

easier are not bad for us. If one believed that participating in the use of Eugenics was a way of

‘playing God’, then they could also say that human beings should not support doctors and

surgeons who base their careers on working towards ‘the betterment of humankind’. Does this

mean that we should cease our efforts in looking for a cure for cancer? A treatment for

Parkinson’s Disease? An Aid Vaccine? All of these medical efforts are so that their are more

options for people to find comfort in a disease free lifestyle. Eugenics is a way to rid of disease

before a child even begins his or her life on earth.

Some could say that it is irresponsible and morally wrong for someone to not treat

someone if there is a treatment available for someone with a disease. In Richard W. Sans II’s

article Faces disappearing, he quotes Bob Edwards, the scientist that created the first test-tube

baby. Edwards claimed, “soon it will be a sin of parents to have a child that carries the heavy

burden of genetic disease [if it can be prevented]”. When this type of technology is available, it

seems sinful to deny someone possible treatment for a disease. Many religions consider life to

start at conception. If medical professionals are able to determine whether an embryo seems
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unhealthy or diseased before birth, then they have a moral obligation to treat this embryo as if it

was any other human being.

The Ten Commandments are a set of religious moral rules that were given by God the the

people of Israel. Jesus Christ summed them up in two statements in the New testament found in

Matthew 22. The latter statement includes the commandment ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.

(Matthew 22:36-40). Also known as ‘the golden rule’, God wants humans to help each other

succeed and flourish. People are constantly looking for ways to better their lives, and the lives of

the people around them. God wants people to look for ways to help one another have good health

and live happy lifestyles.

Genetic engineering allows for parents to choose embryos that display elected individual

characteristics, choose the gender of their child, or even have them modified during the

developmental junctures. Through the process of sperm sorting, or the separation of X

chromosome sperm from Y chromosome sperm through flow cytometry, and pre-implantation

genetic diagnosis, it is possible to do implanting via in-vitro fertilization and artificial

insemination. In-vitro fertilization and artificial insemination allows couples to control the sex of

their future offspring. This procedure can help with “family balancing”, and there is less of the

genetic process that is left to chance. Eugenics is also capable of altering individual genes for

enhancement during the procreation process. These types of enhancements can make your child

have the looks of Angelina Jolie, the athletic ability of Dwayne Wade, and the intelligence of

Albert Einstein. It is human nature to strive for perfection. Humans had the capacity and

intelligence to create the eugenic process, so using it as a means to strive for this perfection

makes sense. As Marian Van Court states in her article Evolution, Eugenics, and God’s Will, “We

can once again evolve in a positive direction with self-directed evolution. From a spiritual point
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of view, when we take on the mantle of eugenics, we insure that our evolution will be guided

more directly by God, who lives and breathes within us.” It is because of these reasons the next

step is to take evolution into our own hands and let allow humankind to flourish.

Those opposed might disagree and say that genetic engineering and enhancing specific

features will create separate and economic social orders. They believe that eugenics could lead to

two types of human beings: those who who maintain rich genetic origin, and those born of

natural means and chanced sets of genes. Those who argue that it is possible to create a wide gap

in economic class systems because one group of people will have an advantage over the other are

ignoring that these situations and class systems already exist. Any child that is born into a

wealthy family or high social class has clear advantages over those born in lesser social classes.

Our system already allows for an immense amount of inequality of opportunity. It seems

irrational to argue that different kinds of inequalities may come from eugenics will be worse than

what already exists. Biological advantages will just preserve the unfairness that already exists,

not make it any worse. As long as everyone works towards a main goal to maximize their

potential, they are acting on an equal level.

Whether this becomes the case or not, creating enhanced super human traits could be as

equally as positive for society. With altered enhanced genes, a generation of humans will exist

that are superior and can use their high intelligence and moral reasoning to come up with

solutions to human being’s many problems and help all humans live in a morally just way. Also,

gene enhancements in eugenics could also be argued as a form of parenting. Parents are very

actively involved in the engineering of their children already as they help them to conduct their

every day lives through their education, social structure, hobbies, etc. As Marion Van Court says

in her article The Case for Eugenics in a Nutshell, “However, the most important legacy we can
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December 3, 2010

bequeath to our children is their own biological integrity: good health, high intelligence, and

noble character. These traits go a long ways towards insuring their personal happiness and well-

being.” Parents can use eugenics to help their children make choices in their life, just as they do

after they are born.

Overall, Eugenics is beneficial to our society because according to utilitarianism, it

follows John Milton’s idea of the Greatest Happiness Principle. Utilization of Eugenics gives

human the options to make choices about the lives of their offspring. Having these choices and

creating genetic combinations of their choice will give the greatest happiness to the the greatest

amount of people.

As medical technological advancements increase in the eugenics field, the pressure to use

eugenics increases. Eugenics acts as a way to save families from hardship with disabled and

diseased children. Religious and moral values claim that people should care about each other and

about helping each other become their best self. Eugenics can help make this happen. It also

makes it possible for people to choose to enhance their children’s genes before birth. With this

sort of advanced prenatal screening technology, it seems irrational that the care of a child should

only begin at birth. If options through eugenics exist to care for a child’s well being by

maximizing a child’s potential, then it is ludicrous to not use the benefits of eugenics and hinder

the child’s future capability.

Works Cited

• http://www.eugenicsonline.netfirms.com/issues.htm

• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8711222
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• http://www.newsweek.com/1999/12/31/a-cure-that-may-cost-us-ourselves.html

• http://www.eugenicsonline.netfirms.com/issues.htm

• http://bioethics.georgetown.edu/publications/scopenotes/sn28.htm

• http://www.online-medical-dictionary.org/Genetic+Intervention.asp?q=Genetic+Intervention

• http://www.echeat.com/essay.php?t=31089

• http://chesterton.org/discover/lectures/36eugenics.html

• http://www.eugenicsonline.netfirms.com/issues.htm

• http://www.organicconsumers.org/ge/lappe052405.cfm

• http://www.secondspring.co.uk/articles/sparkes.htm

• http://www.123helpme.com/assets/15462.html

• http://www.moraldilemma.observationdeck.org/?p=3

• http://www.echeat.com/essay.php?t=31089

• http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2004/04/the-case-against-perfection/2927/

• http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1272/is_2644_127/ai_53630955/

• American Bible: The New Testament