Eugenics Laboratory Lectures number 14: Pearson, Karl. 1927. The Right of the Unborn Child; Being a Lecture Delivered on November 13, 1926 to Teaching from the London County Council Schools (London: Cambridge University Press). 26 pp.
Summary
“The Right of the Unborn Child” was delivered on November 13, 1926, to Teachers from the London County Council Schools. This work extends Pearson’s persistent argument that the science of Eugenics must provide the knowledge necessary to ensure national survival, emphasizing the need to safeguard the quality of the “germ” or hereditary stock.
Pearson demonstrates the enduring influence of heredity through an examination of ophthalmic characteristics. He uses quantitative data to illustrate how Visual Acuity declines as a result of the want of sphericity in the outer surface of the eye. Children whose eyes showed significant lack of sphericity often had poor visual acuity, suggesting they would “certainly fail to see the blackboard effectively”. Pearson presents statistical evidence showing the inheritance of Corneal Astigmatism between mothers and sons, and in pairs of sisters. He concludes that this correlation means that hereditary constitution, not environment, determines the proper depth and near-spherical shape required for the eyes’ lens system, and that natural selection originally eliminated those individuals with less fit characteristics.
To reinforce the inheritance of desirable traits, the lecture provides detailed family histories showcasing ability. Pearson includes the pedigree of the Gregory family, listing several distinguished members such as James Gregory, the Mathematician and Inventor, and Charles Gregory, Professor of Mathematics. He also highlights the Walpole family(Pedigree of Able Family), arguing that the “illustrious Admiral Horatio Nelson” undoubtedly inherited his ability from the Walpole bloodline. Pearson concludes that this knowledge concerning the fixed nature of heredity must be utilized to maintain racial fitness and prevent national decline.
Eugenics Laboratory Lectures number 14
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