Other editions of book Eugenics and Other Evils

From the introduction: "I publish these essays at the present time for a particular reason connected with the present situation; a reason which I should like briefly to emphasise and make clear. Though most of the conclusions, especially towards the end, are conceived with reference to recent events, the actual bulk of preliminary notes about the science of Eugenics were written before the war.[...]"

At the peak of its power during the 1920s, eugenists advocated forced sterilization and called for strict laws about who would be permitted to marry. Thought to be scientific and quite popular among progressives, eugenics had few critics among writers and scientists. The most vocal of them was the British journalist, G. K. Chesterton in this 1922 book, now back in print with additional appendices containing articles by his eugenic opponents. A must-read book for understanding the eugenic debate.

The wisest thing in the world is to cry out before you are hurt. It is no good to cry out after you are hurt; especially after you are mortally hurt. People talk about the impatience of the populace; but sound historians know that most tyrannies have been possible because men moved too late. It is often essential to resist a tyranny before it exists. It is no answer to say, with a distant optimism, that the scheme is only in the air. A blow from a hatchet can only be parried while it is in the air.

Collection of essays critical of the theory of eugenics. Contents: Part I: The False Theory. 1. What Is Eugenics? 2. The First Obstacles 3. The Anarchy from Above 4. The Lunatic and the Law 5. The Flying Authority 6. The Unanswered Challenge 7. The Established Church of Doubt 8. A Summary of a False Theory. Part II: The Real Aim. 1. The Impotence of Impenitence 2. True History of a Tramp 3. True History of a Eugenist 4. The Vengeance of the Flesh 5. The Meanness of the Motive 6. The Eclipse of Liberty 7. The Transformation of Socialism 8. The End of the Household Gods 9. A Short Chapter.

"I publish these essays at the present time for a particular reason connected with the present situation; a reason which I should like briefly to emphasise and make clear. Though most of the conclusions, especially towards the end, are conceived with reference to recent events, the actual bulk of preliminary notes about the science of Eugenics were written before the war.[...]"

This book, like Chesterton's Orthodoxy, is a collection of arguments and speeches given in response to the assertions of leading eugenics supporters in England in the 1920s. Many of his thoughts apply to today's battles over abortion and contraception and the government's role in providing them. Chesterton makes a clear and powerful reasoning for keeping the grasping government's hand out of the individual's most private life.

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Eugenics and Other Evils by G. K. Chesterton G. K. Chesterton was a writer and a public figure of many talents, well-known as a lay theologian, a journalist, a literary critic, an orator, a poet and a philosopher. Chesterton's writings are alive and pertinent - they have as much to say to the reader in the second decade of the 21st century as they used to when they came out of print the first time.Eugenics and Other Evils is an excellent example of Chesterton's extraordinary writing style and his way of making his point – after all, he used to be called “the prince of paradox” for a reason. In this collection, Chesterton criticizes eugenics, the practices aiming to improve the genetic quality of the human race. In what is probably Chesterton's most prophetic book, the writer argues in a powerful style against Britain's Mental Deficiency Act adopted in 1913, which implemented very harsh provisions about the treatment and management of people deemed to be feeble-minded or morally defective. Chesterton's book does far more than simply criticize a law passed by Parliament: it criticizes the establishment, human society, the government and any attempt to regulate the right of humans to procreate. The book consists of three parts: the first one explains and dismantles the philosophy behind eugenics; the second exposes the interests and the motivations that lie behind the theory, while the third offers a collection of letters and articles written by advocates of eugenics in the first decades of the 20th century.Eugenics and Other Evils is a warning to society on what could happen if a group subscribing to such evil views took over – a warning that is just as important to listen to in our modern times as it was at the time this brilliant text was written.

When the concept of eugenics -- the practice of selecting for desirable traits in the larger population by encouraging gifted and/or attractive people to breed -- began to take hold in the early twentieth century, British thinker and writer G.K. Chesterton took a stance contrary to that of many intellectuals of the period and denounced it as evil in this bold, engaging series of essays.

I publish these essays at the present time for a particular reason connected with the present situation; a reason which I should like briefly to emphasise and make clear. Though most of the conclusions, especially towards the end, are conceived with reference to recent events, the actual bulk of preliminary notes about the science of Eugenics were written before the war. It was a time when this theme was the topic of the hour; when eugenic babies (not visibly very distinguishable from other babies) sprawled all over the illustrated papers; when the evolutionary fancy of Nietzsche was the new cry among the intellectuals; and when Mr.

To the Reader Part 1: The False Theory Chapter I: What is Eugenics? Chapter II: The First Obstacles Chapter III: The Anarchy from Above Chapter IV: The Lunatic and the Law Chapter V: The Flying Authority Chapter VI: The Unanswered Challenge Chapter VII: The Established Church of Doubt Chapter VIII: A Summary of a False Theory Part 2: The Real Aim Chapter I: The Impotence of Impenitence Chapter II: True History of a Tramp Chapter III: True History of a Eugenist Chapter IV: The Vengeance of the Flesh Chapter V: The Meanness of the Motive Chapter VI: The Eclipse of Liberty Chapter VII: The Transformation of Socialism Chapter VIII: The End of the Household Gods Chapter IX: A Short Chapter Gilbert Keith Chesterton,(29 May 1874 – 14 June 1936), better known as G. K. Chesterton, was an English writer,poet, philosopher, dramatist, journalist, orator, lay theologian, biographer, and literary and art critic. Chesterton is often referred to as the "prince of paradox."Time magazine has observed of his writing style: "Whenever possible Chesterton made his points with popular sayings, proverbs, allegories—first carefully turning them inside out."Chesterton is well known for his fictional priest-detective Father Brown,and for his reasoned apologetics. Even some of those who disagree with him have recognized the wide appeal of such works as Orthodoxy and The Everlasting Man.Chesterton, as a political thinker, cast aspersions on both Progressivism and Conservatism, saying, "The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives. The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of the Conservatives is to prevent the mistakes from being corrected."Chesterton routinely referred to himself as an "orthodox" Christian, and came to identify this position more and more with Catholicism, eventually converting to Catholicism from High Church Anglicanism. George Bernard Shaw, Chesterton's "friendly enemy" according to Time, said of him, "He was a man of colossal genius."Biographers have identified him as a successor to such Victorian authors as Matthew Arnold, Thomas Carlyle, Cardinal John Henry Newman, and John Ruskin.Early life Chesterton was born in Campden Hill in Kensington, London, the son of Marie Louise, née Grosjean, and Edward Chesterton. He was baptized at the age of one month into the Church of England,though his family themselves were irregularly practising Unitarians.According to his autobiography, as a young man Chesterton became fascinated with the occult and, along with his brother Cecil, experimented with Ouija boards.Chesterton was educated at St Paul's School, then attended the Slade School of Art in order to become an illustrator. The Slade is a department of University College London, where Chesterton also took classes in literature, but did not complete a degree in either subject.....

G K Chesterton wrote 'Eugenics and Other Evils' over 90 years ago, as a warning against the new 'science' of eugenics. It was a bold act at a time when US president Woodrow Wilson was an avid supporter of 'scientific breeding' and even Winston Churchill believed that "the multiplication of the feeble-minded cannot go on unchecked." Wielding his formidable insight and wit - and with remarkable prescience - Chesterton deconstructs the absurdities of the Eugenicist movement and points to its potential for ill-use, dangers which came to their full, terrible fruition in the Nazi destruction of the mentally ill and the horrors of the Holocaust. Despite its age, this is a surprisingly contemporary book. Modern-day Genetics, which offers tests claiming to reveal 'weaknesses' such as mental instability, susceptibility to illness, or a low IQ, make it plain that eugenic 'solutions' are even more plausible today than when Chesterton first wrote this timely and thought-provoking analysis.