tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778550691699707259.post8807658480482419839..comments2011-05-03T00:47:43.517-05:00Comments on Philosophy of Race @ Rhodes: A Genetically Modified WorldDoctor Jhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13189506916480012553noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778550691699707259.post-91827678212967054072011-02-01T10:50:43.648-06:002011-02-01T10:50:43.648-06:00Galton has an interesting take on how we should cr...Galton has an interesting take on how we should create a more "successful" society, and he believes that this is the best way. His problem, of course, is that he has rigged the game by literally taking those who are not currently successful out of the gene pool. This is a huge flaw, and if Darwin's theories hold then it could be that every person is a success insofar as neither they nor their ancestors have been eliminated from the gene pool prematurely. Surely the measure of "success" here is far greater than most people give it credit for. Eugenics is essentially playing God, and Galton understood this. He simply was acting out a fetish of the times.Colin F.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12705448904041299262noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778550691699707259.post-75183116798037770782011-01-31T22:09:21.324-06:002011-01-31T22:09:21.324-06:00I'm not sure if "breeding" the "...I'm not sure if "breeding" the "best" individuals of a people would really be successful in any capacity. I'm sure we all know kids who seem more capable than their parents, and vice-versa. In my experience, at least, it seems that the environment plays a larger roll in one's abilities. As Colin stated, the individuals in the upper class have better resources at their disposal.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8778550691699707259.post-86090304606941707472011-01-30T22:47:49.955-06:002011-01-30T22:47:49.955-06:00Anne,
First of all, if you haven't seen the m...Anne,<br /><br />First of all, if you haven't seen the movie Gattaca you need to. It asks just about every major question that you ask here.<br /><br />I have also been thinking about many of these questions since reading Galton. Although the entire article is shocking, it was most striking to me how he took no account of environmental factors when speaking of the "superior" classes. In other words, he assumed that the higher classes in society were more genetically superior because they were more successful. He seemed to not even consider that most of the success of the higher classes was actually due to their better access to nourishment, medicine, and education. A person born with a high intelligence can have it ruined if not properly cared for as a child. <br /><br />Ultimately, it becomes clear that Galton's Eugenics is an attempt to vastly over simplify human "success," although the questions you pose about breeding and the possibility of genetic stratification are still pressing in regards to modern science. <br /><br />ColinColinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01750087877164881180noreply@blogger.com