Between Progressivism and Institutionalism Albert Benedict Wolfe on Eugenics

Luca Fiorito ()

Department of Economics University of Siena from Department of Economics, University of Siena

Abstract: Albeit concerned with the biological element in social evolution, Albert B. Wolfe was among the very few economists of the progressive era who openly expressed his concerns about certain implications of eugenic rhetoric for the social science. Specifically, Wolfe questioned the strong hereditary boundaries that more extreme eugenicists suggested about human beings. As I will attempt to show in paper, a careful examination of Wolfe’s writings reveals that his reaction was rooted in the belief that many of the social problems which eugenicists attributed to hereditary limitations, were actually imputable to the influence that the social, economic, and physical environment exercised on the individuals.

Keywords: Eugenics; Institutionalism; Social Evolution; Progressivism; Wolfe, Albert Benedict (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: B1 B15 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2012-06
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-evo, nep-his, nep-hme and nep-pke
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:usi:wpaper:644

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