[CarolinaGuitarman]

"The MODERN eugenics movements was begun by Darwin's cousin."

Francis Galton's ideas on Eugenics were not all that influential. It wasn't until after 1900 and the rediscovery of Mendel that Eugenics took off. Galton stressed trying to get the *best* people to reproduce more. The Eugenics movement after 1900 stressed sterilization and trying to prevent the *feeble-minded* from reproducing. Eugenics as we know it depended at least as much on Mendel and genetics as it did on ideas about evolutionary fitness. Neither theorist of course is responsible for the ways that certain people misused their theories.

[RobbyS]

Darwin's son was involved in the eugenics movement and of course the new science of genetics was integrated (by Julian Huxley,for instance) with evolutionary theory. It was a highly "respectable." view, and promulgated by Justice Holmes. Margaret Sanger was a believer and was highly successful in carrying her gospel to the wealthy of the United States, such as the Rockefellers. Hitler's application of it discredited it, but only because of the Holocaust. Now that that shock has worn off, it is now being taken up again.

[Doctor Stochastic]

Encouragement of reproduction of the "best" is usually termed "Positive Eugenics."

Sterilization of the "feeble" is usually termed "Negative Eugenics."

Positive Eugenics is generally considered to be more fun.