“Eugenics” is not a bad word here. I’ve heard at least one person here confirm in so many words that they identify as a eugenicist and are into eugenics ideas.
I’ve seen that as well, multiple times. It’s worth mentioning that those people usually mean something different by eugenics than, for example, the average German. I think calling that cluster of ideas eugenics serves as a social signal.
Excerpt from my rant on this topic: “I think that the term mainly serves as a social signal. In this community, decoupling is a highly valued social norm. Contextualizing, on the other hand, is something for the weak, conventional or social justice minded. Yes, eugenics is a shorthand for cutting-edge reproductive and genetic technologies. But that can’t be the main purpose. It would be easy enough to use a different shorthand. There is, however, something unique that eugenics has to offer. It is a social repellent for those who are clinging “too tightly” to the historical context. Behind this hides an implicit insistence—you should give the benefit of the doubt to an otherwise reasonable person who seems to have uttered something unthinkable.
On some level, I am sympathetic to this social maneuver. It is draining to constantly be on guard because you don’t want to alienate a listener. Why not just shoo away heavy contextualizers? On another level, I’m annoyed. Why make it harder for people to listen to you on purpose? Even if they are normies! It’s so easy to misunderstand each other, even with the best intentions on all sides. If you explained your values and ideas patiently, your hot takes might morph into lukewarm opinions. Yes, people will call you a Nazi if you refer to yourself as a ‘eugenicist’. They will not give you a chance to explain, and to some extent that’s on them. But it’s you who made it easy for them to do so.”
I’ve seen that as well, multiple times. It’s worth mentioning that those people usually mean something different by eugenics than, for example, the average German. I think calling that cluster of ideas eugenics serves as a social signal.
Excerpt from my rant on this topic: “I think that the term mainly serves as a social signal. In this community, decoupling is a highly valued social norm. Contextualizing, on the other hand, is something for the weak, conventional or social justice minded. Yes, eugenics is a shorthand for cutting-edge reproductive and genetic technologies. But that can’t be the main purpose. It would be easy enough to use a different shorthand. There is, however, something unique that eugenics has to offer. It is a social repellent for those who are clinging “too tightly” to the historical context. Behind this hides an implicit insistence—you should give the benefit of the doubt to an otherwise reasonable person who seems to have uttered something unthinkable.
On some level, I am sympathetic to this social maneuver. It is draining to constantly be on guard because you don’t want to alienate a listener. Why not just shoo away heavy contextualizers? On another level, I’m annoyed. Why make it harder for people to listen to you on purpose? Even if they are normies! It’s so easy to misunderstand each other, even with the best intentions on all sides. If you explained your values and ideas patiently, your hot takes might morph into lukewarm opinions. Yes, people will call you a Nazi if you refer to yourself as a ‘eugenicist’. They will not give you a chance to explain, and to some extent that’s on them. But it’s you who made it easy for them to do so.”
Full rant here.