Eugenics Ethical Issues
I believe that the Eugenics program had many issues, both technical and ethical. The basis of the Eugenics program - that an individual’s life can be seen as “a burden” and not worth society’s resources - brings up multiple moral arguments. Who is the judge of whether a life is more valuable than another? Does this not give government workers and referrers the jurisdiction to play God? Inherently, this program had a multitude of factors that were not taken into account. One issue is the measurements used to quantify whether a person should have the right to reproduce or not. The qualifications were too unclear, and a range of reasons were used, from IQ tests, mental illness, handicaps, and even sexual promiscuity. Moreover, while the program was active, the state did not clarify who should make the final decisions. Unlike most states, in which medical professionals mainly acted as the final word, North Carolina allowed social workers, medical professionals, teachers, and even neighbors to have a say in who could possibly be sterilized. Many of these individuals reported unsuspecting
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For example, one individual thought he was getting his appendix taken out, but woke up to find himself sterilized. The program should have clearly communicated to patients what they would undergo, with an emphasis on the lifelong effects involved. Because of instances like these, many of the Eugenics procedures were non-consensual. A number of cases were found to have manipulation of individuals to sign their consent. Some victims were uneducated and could not read, in which social workers took the opportunity to lie about the contents of the contracts. Other victims were threatened, as workers could claim that welfare payments would not come in the future unless they signed the contract. The Eugenics program had a sizable issue with consent and
For example, one individual thought he was getting his appendix taken out, but woke up to find himself sterilized. The program should have clearly communicated to patients what they would undergo, with an emphasis on the lifelong effects involved. Because of instances like these, many of the Eugenics procedures were non-consensual. A number of cases were found to have manipulation of individuals to sign their consent. Some victims were uneducated and could not read, in which social workers took the opportunity to lie about the contents of the contracts. Other victims were threatened, as workers could claim that welfare payments would not come in the future unless they signed the contract. The Eugenics program had a sizable issue with consent and