Eugenics in Europe – the history of development and reasons for abandoning the doctrine of human selection on the European continent

Abstract

The relevance of the study is the necessity to identify the reasons for the rejection of the knowledge of eugenics as a science and establish possible areas for the resumption of the science. In the modern world, there is a positive development in reproductive medicine, and biology and new methods of editing the human genome are being studied, which, in general, has become an urgent subject for discussion within the framework of eugenics. The purpose of the study is to identify the reasons why eugenics has almost disappeared from the study as a science on the European continent, and highlight new horizons for studying science and establishing new opportunities for reproducing methods that will affect the quality of life of people and people themselves. The historical context and prerequisites for the emergence of eugenics on the European continent were analysed, the basic principles of the practical implementation of its ideas in Europe before the end of World War II were determined, the position of science and its transition to genetics and bioethics were studied, the modern features of eugenics were highlighted, and the main trends that should be further developed in this area were established. The main methods that were used in the process of achieving this purpose include: the historical and genetic method, which allows fully considering the specific features of the emergence and development of eugenics; the comparative method, which compares the main characteristics of “old” and “new” eugenics; institutional approach, which helps to identify the main institutions involved in the study and implementation of eugenics ideas. The main results proved that in the modern world there is a place for the reproduction of the theory of human selection and that it can adopt various forms based on the political, socio-economic and cultural aspects of European states. In addition, it was highlighted that population development, mass migration, urbanisation and unstable features of the community were able to contribute to the spread of the ideas of “new” eugenics, which were established in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The main preconditions for the renewed interest in the study of eugenics in the modern world were highlighted, and it was demonstrated that modern eugenics is closely related to genetics, bioethics and transhumanism. The significance of the study is to continue the development and dissemination of eugenics, the study of which should be performed using genetics, bioengineering and bioethics. The establishment and implementation of the latest theories of eugenics, considering modern technologies, will allow for more precise research, which can later be used to solve genetic problems