An Aspect of Welfare Economics in the Fomative Age-Pigou and Eugenics-

Satosh Yamazaki

Economic Review, 2014, vol. 65, issue 2, 126-139

Abstract: Eugenics, a scientific position advocating strengthening a nation through genetic improvements, emerged around the end of the 19th century and became the dominant influence of the day. Eugenics contended that policies supporting the weak and the disabled would lead to nothing but deterioration of the stock of the nation. Hence, eugenicists, in general, were strongly opposed to a welfare policy assisting the poor with inferior innate talents. This eugenic conclusion, however, was completely in contrast to the idea of Pigou's welfare economics that entails extending assistance to the "lower" class. Accordingly, Pigou took the lead in defending welfare economics from eugenicists' severe disapproval.

JEL-codes: A12 B13 I31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hit:ecorev:v:65:y:2014:i:2:p:126-139

DOI: 10.15057/27347

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