Abstract
The eugenic philosophies and policies of the 19th and early 20th century cast a dark shadow over contemporary genetics. In Europe, Great Britain and the United States, and in particular in Nazi Germany in the 1930’s and early 1940’s, eugenic practices were widespread. These practices included programs directed at the mass elimination of certain populations and groups, as well as the non-voluntary sterilization of the mentally disabled and criminally insane. In the United States, for example, the constitutionality of sterilization laws was upheld in the infamous 1927 US Supreme Court decision Buck v. Bell, when justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, jr. defended a compulsory sterilization order for Carrie Buck with the words: “Three generations of imbeciles are enough” (1927, pp. 1000–1002).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Abberley, P. (1987), ‘The Concept of Oppression and the Development of a Social Theory of Disability’, Disability, Handicap and Society, Vol. 2, pp. 5–20.
Brock, Dan (1995), ‘The Non-Identity Problem and Genetic Harms—The Case of Wrongful Handicaps’, Bioethics, Vol. 9, 1995, pp. 269–275.
Buck v. Bell (1927) [Supreme Court] Reports 274, pp. 1000–1002.
Buchanan, Allen (1996), ‘Choosing who will be disabled: genetic intervention and the morality of inclusion’, Social Philosophy and Policy, Vol. 13, pp. 18–46.
Collin, F. (1997), Social Reality, London, Routledge.
Crouch, Ronald A. (1997), ‘Letting the deaf be deaf—Reconsidering the use of cochlear implants in prelingually deaf children’, Hastings Center Report, Vol. 27,No. 4, pp. 14–21.
Davis, A. (1989), From Where I Sit, London: Triangle, 1989.
Davis, D. S. (1997), ‘Genetic Dilemmas and The Child’s Right to an Open Future’, Hastings Center Report, Vol. 27, March/April, pp. 7–15.
Edwards, S.D. (1997), ‘Dismantling the Disability/Handicap Distinction, Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, Vol. 22, pp. 589–606.
Elliott, R. (1993), ‘Identity and the Ethics of Gene Therapy’, Bioethics, Vol. 7, pp. 29–40.
Finkelstein, Vic (1981), ‘To deny or not to deny disability’, in Brechin, A., Liddiard, P. and Swain, J. (eds.), Handicap in a Social World, Sevenoaks: Hoddder & Stoughton”, pp. 34–36.
Finkelstein, Vic (1996), ‘The commonality of disability’, in Swain, J., Finkelstein, V, French, S., and Oliver, M. (eds.), Disabling barriers—enabling environments, London: Sage Publications, 1996.
Flucher, G. (1989), Disabling Policies?, London, Falmer Press, 1989.
French, Sally (1996), ‘Disability, Impairment or something in between?’, in Swain, J., Finkelstein, V, French S., and Oliver, M. (eds.), Disabling Barriers—Enabling Environments, London: Sage Publications, pp. 17–25.
Goffman, E. (1975), Stigma: Notes on the Management of Spoilt Identity, New Jersey, Mosby & Co.
Groce, Nora Ellen (1985), Everyone Here Spoke Sign Language, Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
Grundgesetz der Bundesrepublic Deutschland, Bonn, Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung.
Harris, John (1993), ‘Is Gene Therapy a Form of Eugenics?’, Bioethics, Vol. 7, pp. 178–180.
Holland, A. (1997), ‘Genetically Based Handicap’, unpublished paper.
Houghton, H. (1994), ‘Does Prenatal Diagnosis Discriminate Against the Disabled?’, Ethical Issues in Prenatal Diagnosis and the Termination of Pregnancy, McKie, J. (ed.), Melbourne: Centre for Human Bioethics, 97–102.
Hoyningen-Suess, U. (1987), ‘Behinderung auf den Begriff bringen: Moeglichkeiten und Grenzen’, Vierteljahresschriftfuer Heilpädagogik und ihre Nachbargebiete, Vol. 56, pp. 459–464.
Kahn, J.P. (1991), ‘Genetic Harm: Bitten by the Body that Keeps you?’, Bioethics, Vol. 5, pp. 289–308.
Kaplan, Deborah (1993), ‘Prenatal Screening and Its Impact on Person’s with Disabilities’, Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology, Vol. 36, pp. 605–612.
Kelley, J. and Bean, C. (1988), Australian Attitudes, Sydney: Allen and Unwin.
Leist, A. (1997) ‘Dimension einer Ethik der Behinderungspaedagogik’ in Bonfranchi, R. (ed.), Zwischen allen Stühlen—Die Kontroverse zu Ethik und Behinderung, Erlangen: Harald Fischer Verlag.
Newell, C. (1997), “Critical Reflections on Disability, Difference and Genetic Testing”, unpublished paper presented to the “Genetic Testing, Ethics and Public Health” Seminar of the Public Health Association of Australia NSW Branch at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, 15 August, 1997.
Nordenfelt, L. (1997), ‘The Importance of a Disability/Handicap Distinction’, Journal of Medicine and Philosophy, Vol. 22, pp. 607–646.
Rowe, P. (1994), ‘Jeans for Genes: An Event for the Children’s Medical Research Institute’, a circular letter to Australian Politicians dated 8th June 1994, by the Lorimer Dods Professor and Director of the Children’s Medical Research Institute, New South Wales, as quoted by Newell, 1997.
Söeder, M. (1989), ‘Disability as a social construct: the labelling approach revisited’, European Journal of Special Needs Education, Vol. 4, pp. 117–129.
Tooley, M. (1983), Abortion and Infanticide, Oxford: Clarendon Press.
Vonnegut, Jr., K. (1968), ‘Harrison Bergeron’ in Vonnegut, Jr., K., Welcome to the Monkey House—A Collection of Short Stories, USA: Delacorte Press, pp. 7–13.
Wells, H.G. (1911), The Country of the Blind and Other Stories, London: T. Nelson & Sons, pp. 535–68.
Wikler, D. (1983), ‘Paternalism and the Mildly Retarded’, in Sartorius, R.E. (ed.), Paternalism and the Mildly Retarded, Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, pp. 83–94.
World Health Organization (1993), International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities and Handicaps, Geneva: WHO.
Zohar, N. (1991), ‘Prospects for “Genetic Therapy”—Can a Person Benefit from Being Altered?’, Bioethics, Vol. 5, pp. 275–288.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1999 Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Kuhse, H. (1999). Preventing Genetic Impairments. In: Thompson, A.K., Chadwick, R.F. (eds) Genetic Information. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-585-34586-4_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-585-34586-4_2
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-0-306-46052-4
Online ISBN: 978-0-585-34586-4
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive