Why is Eugenics seen as an illegitimate and unfactual science or policy?

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We’re being explained about chromosomes and gametes and shit, and the recent video we watched mention Chromosomes cross-exchange in the gametes in the first or second cycle. The idea I understood was “genes are swapped between them, so they won’t end up really anything like the parents” which confused me more because that is pretty much how genetics work. I am like my mother physically, and my dad in the metabolistic and internal systems. So I asked my science teacher if the cross-exchange was why eugenics is seen as illegitimate, and she said something along the lines of “no, eugenics is about making a pure race, but often there is more genetic variation intra-race than inter-race.”

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I don’t understand this? Does she think race is a continental thing? Because a northern euro is far different than a south Euro in genetics, to the point I would call different races entirely. And there is far more difference between race in the phenotype viewpoint.

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tl;dr learning about chromosomes, mitosis and meiosis, and sexual reproduction, and I am confused about the cross-exchange and what my science teacher is saying. What is the scientific flaw about eugenics? Not its practical flaw in which I could name many, what is it’s scientific flaw?

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18 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

I think your teacher would agree that genetics function the same scientifically no matter what society the babies are being conceived in. The social-Darwin era lead humanity down a dark path in the name of science. This is what she means when she criticizes eugenics. Gattaca is a movie that shows a society where genes determine every aspect of your cast in society
People can self-select whom they choose to procreate with. The effects genetically act as they do accordingly.
When the government makes policy who can procreate and pass on their genes, that is a line that society after WW2 has decided not to cross again.
Choose whomever to have babies with= the modern social norm.
The government decides who can and cannot reproduce=The strongest demographic group decides who the undesirables are, and takes away their power to make babies.

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