Humans have evolved gradually from a smart ape, over painfully slow steps of millions of years, to our awakening as modern humans about 50 000 years ago. Even then we were little better than a pack of wolves, unaware of our world and our place in it. Only in the last few thousand years, with agriculture, urbanization, and the rise of nations, have we become self-aware; and only in the last few hundred has science unlocked the natural world. We now have the ability to manage our own future, rather than leave it to random, undirected selection.
Eugenics was the idea that people could take control of evolution through deliberate breeding. Humans are animals, and just like chickens or dogs, they can be bred for particular traits. The process is ancient and simple. The ancient Greeks wrote about eugenics and some practiced it. There was a flourish of interest around 100 years ago. Then it turned nasty, with forced sterilizations of "defectives" and the Nazi atrocities. Lately, white power groups co-opt the term in junk science backing their racist views, and it somehow gets mixed into arguments over genetic racial differences. Historically, eugenics was promoted for nationalistic purposes, in many progressive countries, as a means of competing with other nations by improving the national population; it would be hard to come closer to open racism.
Nobody in his right mind, who wants to remain employable anywhere, would endorse eugenics today.
But the science is sound.
Before any genetic and fertility interventions were available, eugenics was limited to theorizing about how to increase the birth rate of the desirable and reduce that of the undesirable. This would be doomed to failure as any effect would be very small and very slow in a large population. Now, IVF is practical and commonplace, and would allow anyone to have a much better baby than they could otherwise. Genetic embryonic screening (think GATTACA) is possible too, though subject to legal restrictions.
The rise of individualism, personal freedoms, and egalitarianism [the assertion that people are born equal, and that we must pretend they are] would prevent almost any nation from pursuing a strong eugenics program (though there are a couple of mild ones). Few people would welcome someone telling them whether they could or could not have a child, or whether that child could be genetically theirs.
But there is the possibility that a small group of people could decide to set aside self-interest, brave the ridicule of others, and invest their descendants' future in a eugenic effort. From the best available donors for IVF, in one generation, they could create a population that was far advanced beyond the abilities of average people. I'm assuming intelligence is the trait of choice; they might reasonably average 150 to 160 IQ, and have a foundation of good genetic material for further improvements in the future.
The group would have to be large enough for genetic variation, and then genetically self-contained, though it might welcome genetic input for generations from the best of the outside population. It would have to organize around a new understanding of moral responsibility to future generations.
The children would not be unique super-beings, just very gifted individuals, like many others in the rest of the world. These occur all the time, having children who are closer to average, and grandchildren who are closer still. But if they formed a culture of their own, intermarrying to maintain a high level of intellect, they would establish a new average. If their parents' belief in eugenics was passed down, they could increase their numbers along with their ability for generations. There is a maximal intelligence for humans of perhaps 180 to 200 IQ that they would approach.
Humans have become something fundamentally different from, and superior to, their ape ancestors. A person of 180 IQ would look on a normal person as you or I might look on an ape. The difference in ability would be as great. 180 is not less than twice the average 100. It's a whole different way of thinking and experiencing the world, and a level of ability beyond what most of us can understand, the one-in-a-million individual. What could a community of thousands or millions of these accomplish? We can hardly imagine.
They would not become evil and emotionless. They would not be Hollywood mutant menaces. They would be entirely human, just the very upper crust of humanity. Likewise they would not create a utopia without crime, poverty, or vice; but intelligence decreases these things in a society. I do think they might manage a different level of civilization, something we haven't seen yet, but that's my personal musings.
Given that eugenics is possible, how would one start such a group? Does one already exist? I mean, not a crazy one?
Please consider replying with constructive comments and criticisms. Yes, I've glossed over a lot. But the two questions are obvious:
1. Do we not have a moral responsibility to the future of humanity to make them the healthiest, smartest, best-adjusted people possible?
2. How can we do it?
Ian
Eugenics Chat 