Eugenics
 

What are the problems with eugenics (other than possible moral problems)? Don't genes matter enough? Sounds like a reasonable idea to me, that we would try to increase the amount of positive traits (empathy, intelligence, happiness, beauty...) by only making new people from sperm and egg cells of people with those traits. Or perhaps letting everybody have one own child first, because it's such an important thing for us to get an own child.

Eugenics could solve the problem that stupid people reproduce more, while also hopefully increasing people's happiness (by fitting better to modern environment like cities) and making people care more about each other, animals and future generations.

I know there's the stigma because of nazis and "unnaturality", but I think we should try to get over that if it means we can solve other huge problems.

Re: Eugenics
 

Below is an interesting article on the future of genetics. I'm shocked the nytimes published this. The times, they are ah changing.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/us/11dna.html

Re: Eugenics
 

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What are the problems with eugenics (other than possible moral problems)?

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There's no problem with it other than "possible moral problems", but those possible moral problems are significant.

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Don't genes matter enough? Sounds like a reasonable idea to me, that we would try to increase the amount of positive traits (empathy, intelligence, happiness, beauty...) by only making new people from sperm and egg cells of people with those traits.

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You don't see a problem with having a committee of judges that decides based on their standards who should be allowed to reproduce? And how would they enforce it? Forced sterilization? Forced abortion? Forced sterilization was actually a policy (or at least a legal option often carried out) of many western countries in the early 1900s and I for one would not like to see it return.

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Or perhaps letting everybody have one own child first, because it's such an important thing for us to get an own child.

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Despite that it still sounds unpleasant.

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I know there's the stigma because of nazis and "unnaturality", but I think we should try to get over that if it means we can solve other huge problems.

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I don't see a stigma against forced sterilization as a bad thing. You don't even have to make a slippery slope argument. But while the nazi incident shouldn't necsarrily be a reason (and I tend not to agree with slippery slope arguments) against supporting any sort of eugenics, it is still important to remember history and how eugenic attitudes led to forced euthenasia of many people and eventually leading to the holocaust. That is we have to be careful not to repeat past mistakes.

Re: Eugenics
 

The moral implications are enormous, but for some reason you wish to put those aside. OK...how about the fact that narrowing the gene pool significantly could actually lead to unexpected genetic defects. A diverse gene pool is overall healthy for a population to have; if the gene pool becomes too narrow than unlikely genetic anomalies might pop up more often.

Re: Eugenics
 

I don't know how big the gene pool would need to be, but with 6 billion people on this planet, I think it probably wouldn't be a big problem.

Re: Eugenics
 

foal,
how about just criminalizing making a second own child? I don't see need for forced sterilization. Forced abortion, maybe, depending on how early it is (I don't have an opinion on abortion really).

I know it sounds unpleasant, but I see a LOT of potential in it.

Re: Eugenics
 

Well, if we are ignoring moral problems, the biggest practical hurdle is essentially the mouse/snake/mongoose/gorilla problem.

Re: Eugenics
 

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I don't know how big the gene pool would need to be, but with 6 billion people on this planet, I think it probably wouldn't be a big problem.

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But remember that you are eliminating the genes of "stupid people." You might also end up getting rid of a lot of traits, effectively limiting the gene pool much more.

If you are considering this, watch the movie Gattaca, and tell me if you still think it's a good idea.

Re: Eugenics
 

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I don't know how big the gene pool would need to be, but with 6 billion people on this planet, I think it probably wouldn't be a big problem.

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But remember that you are eliminating the genes of "stupid people." You might also end up getting rid of a lot of traits, effectively limiting the gene pool much more.

If you are considering this, watch the movie Gattaca, and tell me if you still think it's a good idea.

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Good point, then watch U-571 and maybe Event Horizon.

Re: Eugenics
 

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the mouse/snake/mongoose/gorilla problem.

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And what is this problem?