Eugenics, by definition, is "The improving of genetic code to make better human beings (Mattox)." Eugenics was researched thoroughly by Sir John Francis Galton, a cousin of Charles Darwin. Sir Galton attempted to figure out how it was that "genius" seemed to be running through his family; he attempted to prove that it was genetic. And so was born eugenics, though it actually has roots dating back to the earliest days (Mattox). Mankind, and his individual societies, have always tried to be the best in the world.
The word "Eugenics" is derived from the Greek word which, literally, means "well born." Is what given this name by Sir Galton (Anderson). The definition in Webster's New World Dictionary says "eugenics: (n) the movement devoted to improving the human species through the control of hereditary factors in mating.".
There are two forms of eugenics. The first form is known as positive eugenics. This is where nobody is hurt or killed, but those with "favorable" genes are encouraged to breed. Some countries have paid people to breed in an attempt to make their country the best in the world. The other kind of eugenics, the one that generally presents problems, is negative eugenics. Negative eugenics is the purification of the gene pool using any means necessary. This includes, mass killing, segregation, deportation, whatever it takes. Negative eugenics is what the Nazis used in World War II. Their plan was to make their race the only one in the world, and that is why they wiped out so many Jews, Polaks, et cetra. Eugenics can further be split into another two categories, these being population eugenics and individual eugenics. In population eugenics, the entity being dealt with is, predictably, an entire population. An example of this is doctors allowing out information on possible defects and unborn child could have. Parents can then do with that information what they will, possibly choosing an abortion.
