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1. The purpose of this academic essay, ​A Eugenic Approach to Overpopulation​, is to
analyze the potential use of eugenics in addressing overpopulation. Solving the world’s largest
problems always comes with a cost. With this in mind, eugenics is a viable option in curbing
overpopulation in the world of today. With regards to arguments of proponents as well as the
opposition, eugenics is useful in controlling population through birth control, planning, and by
providing a way for scientists to predict and estimate trends in world population.
Eugenics is essentially the science of improving populations through controlled breeding
such that the occurrence of desirable traits increases. To do this, people with disabilities and
other ailments are discouraged to reproduce while those with desirable genes are encouraged to
do so (Shelley 62). As a result, eugenics can be useful in controlling overpopulation as it reduces
the need to reproduce more human beings that could potentially transmit genetic diseases.
Theoretically, the general population should be healthier, more productive, and in turn be able to
contribute more to society (“People & Events: Eugenics and Birth Control”). This is because of
the “desirable” genes that may in turn promote qualities such as strength and intellect.
The ideas of eugenics were first pioneered by Sir Francis Galton, a close relative of the
esteemed Charles Darwin. With his cousin astounding the world with his discovery of the natural
selection of populations, Galton took his ideas a step further. He asked himself how to apply the
newfound knowledge to humans in particular with the intent of making the world a better place.
Furthermore, Galton’s theory was also mathematically sound. That is to say, as each generation
concludes, certain traits become diluted as they are not passed on with each undesirable trait
occurring with ½ the likelihood of before (“Francis Galton”). As a result, over the years, many
famous personalities have supported eugenics including Teddy Roosevelt, Alexander Graham
Bell, and, ironically, Helen Keller. Helen Keller’s unyielding reasoning behind her support of the
Eugenics Movement, was in order to prevent future generations of deaf blind people like her.
Surprisingly, in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s Margaret Sanger of the United States
allied her Birth Control Movement with the Eugenics Movement in order to further propel her
views on overpopulation and its causes. Aside from educating women about birth control
options, she made it clear to the world that eugenics and birth control were the only way to
reduce the rate at which the population grew. In the 1950’s, Sanger had “heralded it as the
panacea to world overpopulation, starvation and hunger.” In the end however Sanger left a
legacy of distrust as many believed that she was attempting to target certain groups of women in
order to prevent them from reproducing (“People & Events: Eugenics and Birth Control”). To an
extent, this presumption was an excellent way for eugenicists to prove their methods as a more
feasible method of achieving Sanger’s goal of eliminating overpopulation.
Additionally, with almost all major events come certain side effects and consequences. In
the case of eugenics, these consequences came in the form of scientific achievement. Francis
Galton devoted “significant time and energy” to the improvement of human population and the
identification of genetically “inferior” people for sterilization. This allowed him to discover the
method of fingerprinting to trace familial lines and race in a population, the very same method

2. used today (“Francis Galton”). In a way, at least experimenting with the possibilities that
eugenics holds for the world can bring about new discoveries along with solving the population
problem at hand.
As well as all this sounds, many believe that the use of these scientific concepts in
population control on a large scale is highly controversial and lacking in hard data. The truth is,
eugenics has never been a widely popular movement. However, for all intents and purposes,
advocates of eugenics argue in favor of its use of scientific principles in population planning
(Shelley 62). In a way, some scientists of the modern era do not want to eliminate the weak and
genetically, but simply discourage them from passing on illness to future generations of the
world. This was the reasoning that caused the first wave of criticism, as many believed that
discouragement of certain groups to reproduce was a violation of human rights.
As a matter of fact, early proponents of eugenics believed that “ people with ‘desirable’
traits should be encouraged to reproduce” and that desirable traits include “high intelligence and
physical vitality” (Shelley 62). The argument was that the definitions of who is “fit” and who is
“unfit” vary greatly depending on different factors (“People & Events: Eugenics and Birth
Control”). On the contrary, it is entirely possible to determine the boundaries of different levels
of action needed to be taken based on different people’s genes. This can be done by scientists
and world leaders alike, as they know their people the best, similar to how the World Bank has
been funding eugenics policies to aid population control for decades. It does seem hypocritical
that Hitler’s Germany was being condemned for their judgement of Jews while over 42,000
people were being sterilized in many U.S. states (Fraser and Beeston 1).
However, in the mid 1900’s eugenics had its highest public profile in Nazi Germany.
Similar to Adolf Hitler’s mass genocide of European Jews and the Malthusian discrimination
against the poor, Elite doctrines include reducing the number of inferior people to create a
“master race” (Fraser and Beeston 1). Some may believe that employing eugenics to control
population growth could spark another genocide perhaps on a larger scale. The truth is that the
Eugenics Movement only became discredited after the rise of the Nazis (Shelley 62). According
to Thomas Ferguson of the Office of Population Affairs, “war is one of the most effective ways
of culling an ‘undesirable’ population.” As a result many wars including the Vietnam War and
Yom­Kippur War, were engineered by third party organizations such as the CIA (Fraser and
Beeston 1). It is no exaggeration to assert that many of the world’s wars, with regards to
eugenics, contribute to reducing and therefore stabilizing population.
All things considered, it is important to remember that time is running out. Very soon
overpopulation will lead to the displacement of people from their homes due to lack of resources,
proper facilities, and rampant disease. To prevent a global catastrophe, the Eugenics Movement
should once again gain support in order to compel world leaders to accept an option that has
been disregarded for so many years. In a larger context, eugenics could prevent other world
problems including hunger, poverty, and even global warming to some extent. Of course, all of
this takes time, but what better time to start than now?

3. Works Cited
1. Educate­Yourself. “The Brotherhood Part 6: Population Control”.
educate­yourself.org. Web. 8 Mar. 2016.
<www.educate­yourself.org/nwo/brotherhoodpart6.shtml>.
2. “Francis Galton.” ​World of Health​. Gale, 2006. ​Science In Context​. Web. 1 Mar.
2016.
3. PBS. “People & Events: Eugenics and Birth Control”. PBS.org. 2001. Web. 2
Mar. 2016.
<www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/pill/peopleevents/e_eugenics.html>.
4. Shelley, Fred. The World’s Population. An Encyclopedia of Critical Issues,
Crises, and Ever­Growing Countries. Santa Barbara, California: ABC­CLIO,
2015. 62­64. Print.