Western Civilization and Human Development:
Discourse I: Evolution, Genetics and Their Disastrous Consequences
Galton, Spencer and other 19th century thinkers believed that the new discoveries about evolution and genetics could be used in the service of social progress.
Over the following century, however, eugenics and “Social Darwinism” became associated with widespread human rights abuses and genocide during World War II.
Does this mean that the original ideas on which these perspectives were based were somehow flawed?
How else can we account for these disastrous consequences?
Please discuss these ideas, being as specific as possible about their origins and consequences. Please refer to the events discussed in Chapter 26 of the Cole and Coffin text to illustrate your claims.
Books used and could please use in reference to writing on this are
1. Visions of childhood, Influential models from Locke to Spock,Ch. 4 “The Child and the Species”.
IBSN# 978-0-807-728000
2. The Blank Slate, The modern denial of human natureParts II through VI pp.103-434
IBNS# 978-0-14-200334-3
3. Western Civilizations, combined copy, Joshua Cole, Carol Symes, Judith Coffin, Robert Stacy. Chapter 26
IBSN# 978-0-393-93487-8
4 Film DVD: “Artificial Intelligence: A.I.” directed by Steven Spielberg (2001); 146 minutes