I think it’s a good thing that most people have a revulsion towards the Nazi version of eugenics. I think trying to rehabilitate the word “eugenics” could plausibly lead to a lessening of that revulsion and and increase in support for their version. Just use a different word for the thing that’s okay, and that all goes away.
This feels a bit like a pro-taxation person hearing the argument that taxation is theft, and then going on to proudly declare that “everyone is a thief”, that everybody should be pro-theft (but only good theft), and we should rehabilitate the word “theft”. Just use a different word.
First- I’m not trying to rehabilitate murder, forced sterilizations or nazis. “Nazi eugenics” still has the word “Nazi” in it, which so far as I’m aware, no one is trying to rehabilitate.
Second- there is a case study for rehabilitation of a word, euthanasia. Euthanasia is associated with Nazis but now the word euthanasia is used in bioethics and public conversations freely for the practice of allowing people to die who are experiencing tremendous suffering. So far as I’m aware the rehabilitation of the word euthanasia has not resulted in people being more inclined to recommend the murder of the ill or disabled. Rehabilitation of the word euthanasia has instead resulted in a better conversation and provisions around the fate of people who are suffering.
Edited to add: This comment fails to reckon with the possible benefits of rehabilitating the word eugenics. When the word is used against reproductive technologies, individual reproductive choices and behavioral genetics it stifles conversation, debate and progress.
“euthanasia” was a euphemism the nazi’s used for their eugenics program. “eugenics” was a guiding principle of the Nazi ideology, as well as many other racist policies throughout the world, and continues to be used by neo-nazis to this day.
Trying to rehabilitate the word “eugenics” is like someone trying to rehabilitate the swastika symbol by waving a sanksrit version it around and insisting it means prosperity and good luck. It’s not gonna work, it’s going to offend and upset people, and people are gonna think you’re a Nazi.
I think it’s a good thing that most people have a revulsion towards the Nazi version of eugenics. I think trying to rehabilitate the word “eugenics” could plausibly lead to a lessening of that revulsion and and increase in support for their version. Just use a different word for the thing that’s okay, and that all goes away.
This feels a bit like a pro-taxation person hearing the argument that taxation is theft, and then going on to proudly declare that “everyone is a thief”, that everybody should be pro-theft (but only good theft), and we should rehabilitate the word “theft”. Just use a different word.
First- I’m not trying to rehabilitate murder, forced sterilizations or nazis. “Nazi eugenics” still has the word “Nazi” in it, which so far as I’m aware, no one is trying to rehabilitate.
Second- there is a case study for rehabilitation of a word, euthanasia. Euthanasia is associated with Nazis but now the word euthanasia is used in bioethics and public conversations freely for the practice of allowing people to die who are experiencing tremendous suffering. So far as I’m aware the rehabilitation of the word euthanasia has not resulted in people being more inclined to recommend the murder of the ill or disabled. Rehabilitation of the word euthanasia has instead resulted in a better conversation and provisions around the fate of people who are suffering.
Edited to add: This comment fails to reckon with the possible benefits of rehabilitating the word eugenics. When the word is used against reproductive technologies, individual reproductive choices and behavioral genetics it stifles conversation, debate and progress.
“euthanasia” was a euphemism the nazi’s used for their eugenics program. “eugenics” was a guiding principle of the Nazi ideology, as well as many other racist policies throughout the world, and continues to be used by neo-nazis to this day.
Trying to rehabilitate the word “eugenics” is like someone trying to rehabilitate the swastika symbol by waving a sanksrit version it around and insisting it means prosperity and good luck. It’s not gonna work, it’s going to offend and upset people, and people are gonna think you’re a Nazi.