The New Eugenics and Human Progress

Human progress has occurred throughout human existence. It is typically regarded as a positive thing in as much as it proceeds on the basis of, and results in, changes to the human condition that we value. Thus, changes associated with progress occur since they are judged, using current moral standards, to be “good” things and the “right” things to do. Eugenics, the practice of purposely bettering society by influencing its genetic makeup, was a philosophical and practical tool used by leaders of European societies and the countries under their influence during the final two decades of the 19th and the first half of the 20th centuries. This was not entirely a new idea, however, as ways of purposely manipulating genetics of plants, animals, and humans have been practiced before recorded human history. The practice of eugenics went “too far” by Nazis during World War II for international moral standards and was quickly abandoned in favor of an international emphasis on human rights. Still, eugenics practices continued and continue to the current time. Today, we are faced with the question of whether or not this is a prudent path to follow, especially given that progress in medical and genetic fields is expanding at a very rapid pace. It is suggested here that rapid progress in these areas in the future may make any current practices of the new eugenic not only outdated, but also irrelevant. Thus, it seems unwise to follow new eugenics practices in a whole‐hearted way.