Question

Distinguish between positive and negative selection, and between positive and negative eugenics. How do selection and eugenics differ?

Short answer

Positive selection refers to the preferential increase of advantageous traits, while negative selection entails the discouragement of harmful traits. Positive eugenics aims to encourage the propagation of desired traits in human populations, while negative eugenics seeks to reduce undesired traits. Although both selection and eugenics involve trait propagation, selection is a naturally occurring process, while eugenics involves human intervention.

Step-by-step solution

Define Positive and Negative Selection

Positive selection involves selecting for traits that provide an advantage, causing these favorable traits to increase in frequency over generations. For instance, in terms of evolution, positive selection would mean the promotion of traits that help an organism survive. Negative selection, on the other hand, refers to the elimination of deleterious traits. This would mean discouraging traits that hamper survival or reproduction.

Define Positive and Negative Eugenics

Eugenics is the idea of improving overall genetic quality of the human population. Positive eugenics works towards promoting reproduction among individuals with desired traits, with the aim to increase the frequency of these traits in future generations. Negative eugenics involves discouraging or preventing reproduction among individuals with undesired traits. This can be direct or indirect, such as through social policies that make reproduction less likely.

Differentiate between Selection and Eugenics

While both selection and eugenics involve the promotion or prevention of certain traits in a population, they differ in their application. Selection functions on a natural level, with certain traits being naturally selected for, or against, due to the survival and reproduction advantages they confer. Eugenics, on the other hand, is a social and scientific construct, which involves human intervention in the promotion or discouragement of traits, often based on societal standards or norms.