Conway Zirkle was a science historian; he had quite a bit to say about the corruption of science by politics.
(Leo Alexander was a psychiatrist who worked with the Nuremberg tribunals; he wrote an article called “Medical science under dictatorship” that was published in the July 14 1949 edition of the NEJM; in it he gives a very graphic description of what happens when medicine is corrupted by politics. He died in 1984 and before he died he said the intellectual climate was like the 1920’s — before the killing started.)
I confess I’ve not read Zirkle or even heard of him, but I’ll look him up. I’ll look up Alexander, too. Thank you for the tips. My own humble thoughts, not so learned, follow:
Well, I can see why Alexander would say that, as the Eugenics Movement had come into its evil fullness in 1920s Germany. It enjoyed some popularity here as well (think Margaret Sanger), and resulted in the forcible sterilization of certain groups. And in a number of other countries. Social Darwinism also played a part, as well as Neo-MalthusianIsm. (I am leaving out all the other factors that contributed to the Holocaust and other Nazi horrors, as we’re only discussing the perversion and politicization of science here.)
Worldwide shock and horror at the Nazis’ unspeakable crimes revealed during the Nuremberg trials stopped the Eugenics Movement in its tracks, although forcible sterilization of “defectives” continued in many countries including our own. Then Neo-Malthusianism began creeping back and was even taught in public schools beginning in the 1969s. Paul Erlich’s Population Bomb made a big splash in 1968. Norman Borlaug (who, unlike Erlich, was a Real Scientist and humanitarian) quietly worked to help the world feed itself and Erlich’s dire predictions never came true. Still, Neo-Malthusianism continues to be popular even as fertility rates have sunk to dire levels in most of t!he world.
Some wonder if glimmers the old Eugenics Movement are returning with the “designer baby” aspect of IVF and with women shopping sperm bank catalogs picking and choosing the various traits they desire in their offspring. Many, many unborn babies are aborted after prenatal tests show genetic defects (even though these tests are not always accurate or the defects severe).
Certainly, the commodification of children has already gone far in our society. If an unborn baby is wanted, he is allowed to live; if she is unwanted, usually not. Gay men rent the wombs of impoverished women in developing countries. Single women and lesbian couples shop the sperm banks. No longer is a baby a precious gift from God.
Despite many excellent, long-term studies proving that children do best when raised by both biological parents whose relationship is cemented by marriage, we ignore the science and champion single motherhood, same sex couple parenting, easy no-fault divorce, etc. We know that children crave their biological parents, yet we dismiss that knowledge. It’s all about what adults want now, nevermind what children need.
Now, bowing to the transgender fad, doctors mutilate confused children and laws not only allow it but sometimes enforce it in some countries, including our own.
The apocalyptic man-made disaster and climate predictions became popular starting in the late 1960s, and by the first Earth Day, had proliferated into quite a list. None came true, by nevermind, they came up with more predictions.
And now we see what we see. Madness gaining ground and science progressively politicized. The same people who worship science as a sort of god are the same ones who wish to bend it to their distorted apocalyptic fantasies or hedonistic desires. The sane among us know science is but a tool, an exceedingly fine tool, but still a tool. One that must be used respectfully and carefully if it is to serve us well.
Sadly, madness appears to be winning out over sanity these days :(