Ill Conceived Eugenics, IQ, and The Bell Curve
Dec 5, 2025
The podcast delves into the controversial ties between eugenics, IQ, and societal frameworks. It traces the historical roots of the eugenics movement and its links to immigration policies and fascist ideologies. Discussions reveal how IQ testing was co-opted for social control and the dangerous ramifications of labeling. The hosts critique modern interpretations of intelligence as deterministic and explore the re-emergence of eugenic thought in contemporary contexts. They examine the financial backers of racist research and how these ideas persist in today's discussions around natalism.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Eugenics Linked To Immigration And Power
- The modern eugenics movement in North America tied immigration fears to scientific-sounding claims to preserve existing power structures.
- Eugenicists used institutions and religion to legitimize policies that maintained racial and class hierarchies.
Osborn's Upper-Class Push For Eugenics
- Josh describes Henry Fairfield Osborn as a wealthy paleontologist who founded the American Eugenics Society in 1922.
- Osborn used his social position to popularize eugenics among elites and religious communities.
Religion Was Used To Legitimize Eugenics
- Eugenic organizers framed their program with religious language to recruit mainstream Christians.
- They merged Calvinist predestination with eugenic selection to claim a moral imperative for breeding policies.