As quick as we are to dismiss eugenics as a pseudoscience or an unmoral discipline, it has shown up in multiple projects - birth control, incest and designer babies. Although eugenics is no longer a respected science, the "improvement" of humankind still underlies modern decisions. But in almost every case, the practice of trying to influence human heredity is mostly a black box. In the case of birth control, there are three explained ways in which the drug works to prevent pregnancy. Furthermore, the results of incest are even more unclear. What level of gene overlap causes unusual health problems?
Along with being black boxes, the three topics also relate to Anne Fausto-Sterling's chapter about sex hormones. They all involve, "a struggle between scientists and political activists to secure one another's help while holding on to their specific goals." (Sexing the Body, 173) And in the realm of reproduction there is an elevated sense of moral obligation. These scientists consider themselves experts in social matters and hope to cure social ills with their programs. For me, it is easy to imagine the near future in which the three disciplines intersect - a pill that prevents incest or allows for specific embryos with chosen genes.
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with sex comes the moral obligation, as you say, to have "good" offspring, and this influences who we think we should sleep with. it's interesting, actually, because it seems like many of the topics fit the theme of perfection, either for the self or for one's children.
ReplyDeleteinteresting post!