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Scientific Pollyannaism pp 43–89Cite as

Palgrave Macmillan

Eugenic Scientific Utopias Filled with Socially Engineered Happy Productive People

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Abstract

Supported by Darwin and developed by leading Western scientists, eugenics or the “science of racial betterment” became the dominant scientific force in the study of human differences, including human emotions. This chapter describes the promotion of eugenics as the path to individual and communal utopian happiness, as well as the development of specific scientific methods used to test human differences and to control emotional expressions. It discusses the significance of the study of brains, genes, intelligence and personality testing in attempts to prove the inferiority of particular groups, as well as the promotion of strategies to socially engineer, and thereby improve, already superior groups. This discussion will highlight key role played by leading American psychologists in the development and promotion of eugenics worldwide.

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  1. Clinical Psychology, Pacifica Graduate Institute, Carpinteria, CA, USA

    Oksana Yakushko

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Yakushko, O. (2019). Eugenic Scientific Utopias Filled with Socially Engineered Happy Productive People. In: Scientific Pollyannaism. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-15982-5_4

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