Efforts to cure hereditary diseases through genetic engineering are eugenics.
The objectionable sort of “eugenics” was historically imposed by violence and deceit; and was not intended for the benefit of the people subjected to it but that of “society”, “the nation”, or “the taxpayers”. It also reinforced and implemented prejudices against racial minorities, non-neurotypical people, etc. These properties are not shared by the development of cures for hereditary diseases.
However, developing human genetic engineering creates new possibilities for forcible or prejudiced eugenics; and specific treatments may have results that in the future we might regard as bad choices born from prejudice.
Evolutionary psychology is sexist.
Some people draw conclusions (or speculations) from evolutionary psychology that purport to justify treating people in unfavorable ways on the basis of their sex. Some of these involve claims that all men or women share some personality trait, e.g. “all men are attracted to lithe young women” or “all women are attracted to rich older men”, which can be reasonably termed prejudice when applied to individuals. Also, some turn to evolutionary psychology for support for their existing sexist beliefs or behaviors, “as a drunkard uses lampposts.”
However, this doesn’t differ substantially from other abuses of the human sciences; evolutionary psychology is not distinct in this regard.
Euthanasia is murder.
Both involve killing someone — and someone who has clearly been a person, not an undifferentiated lump of cells. There’s still a long way from Kevorkian to Manson, though.
Marijuana is a drug.
No problem here. (A bigger problem is when people put alcohol in the complement of the set of drugs!)
The objectionable sort of “eugenics” was historically imposed by violence and deceit; and was not intended for the benefit of the people subjected to it but that of “society”, “the nation”, or “the taxpayers”. It also reinforced and implemented prejudices against racial minorities, non-neurotypical people, etc. These properties are not shared by the development of cures for hereditary diseases.
However, developing human genetic engineering creates new possibilities for forcible or prejudiced eugenics; and specific treatments may have results that in the future we might regard as bad choices born from prejudice.
Some people draw conclusions (or speculations) from evolutionary psychology that purport to justify treating people in unfavorable ways on the basis of their sex. Some of these involve claims that all men or women share some personality trait, e.g. “all men are attracted to lithe young women” or “all women are attracted to rich older men”, which can be reasonably termed prejudice when applied to individuals. Also, some turn to evolutionary psychology for support for their existing sexist beliefs or behaviors, “as a drunkard uses lampposts.”
However, this doesn’t differ substantially from other abuses of the human sciences; evolutionary psychology is not distinct in this regard.
Both involve killing someone — and someone who has clearly been a person, not an undifferentiated lump of cells. There’s still a long way from Kevorkian to Manson, though.
No problem here. (A bigger problem is when people put alcohol in the complement of the set of drugs!)
More later, perhaps....