Greetings Squad,
The post from Platt set something pinging in my head. Eugenics. These
ideas aren't fully formed yet, but there's something there I feel the need
to share (rhyming unintentional).
Eugenics (n) - The study of hereditary improvement of the human race by
controlled selective breeding.
- American Heritage Dictionary
Consider that we use the intellectual level to choose our mate. This does
not occur in a vacuum. The intellectual level is informed by the social.
The "qualities valued" by an individual in mate selection are interpreted
through a social context. In hunter-gatherer societies one might desire the
most resourceful hunter, while our post-modern society might more highly
value a business leader, doctor, or even a philosopher ;). Thus, as you
can see, mate selection is not strictly an intellectual exercise, but also a
social one. That is, an intellectual decision informed by the social level.
Now consider eugenics. One view might be that it is has high value only at
the social level and low value in the higher intellectual realm. But how
does eugenics really differ from personal mate selection? In both cases the
activity involved is one of choosing the "best" set of genes available; and
the intellectual decision as to what is "best" is informed both by intellect
and society. So, it seems to me that what we are really talking about when
we discuss the "low value" of eugenics is the question of WHO is doing the
gene selection. It seems that at a certain point the Values of the
intellectual level becomes personal. What has high value at my intellectual
level may not correspond to high value in yours. Now I'm struggling. what
IS the definition of the intellectual level?
Key Points for me:
>even human societies "breed" individuals that can best fill the society's
needs
>"The MOQ postulates this law: the value of a lower level is low value to
the one above.
>"Conclusion: To the Inorganic level eugenics isn't "known". To the
Biological level it is amoral - neutral - life is eugenics itself. To the
Social level it is moral, and to Intellect it is immoral. As Intellect is
the highest value level, eugenics as an IDEA should not be contemplated;
>intellectual faith in man's basic goodness as spontaneous and natural is
disastrously naive.
Wishing you happiness,
Mary Wittler
mwittler@geocities.com
ICQ# 19168557
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