Neutering the needy.

I was struck most by the fact that the US supported the same logic of eugenics as the Nazis when I saw the documentary abut Nazi medicine. This makes it seem that the thoughts that the Germans had at that time were anything but foreign–their arguments were sound and convincing. That period is often depicted as being driven by propaganda, I think that the movie alluded to the fact that the Nazis were also driven by logic, which is what is unsettling about the history. In fact, one could make strong ethical arguments for Nazi eugenics with the utilitarian perspective and common-good perspective: A larger percentage of the population may benefit from the removal of certain persons (most good for most people). The community will strengthen from the removal of certain persons (values and goals will be shared more).
But the Nazi’s fall short when it comes to the rights perspective, the fairness perspective, and the virtue perspective. It is ethically wrong to make people act in ways they do not choose according to the rights perspective. Likewise, it is ethically wrong to discriminate and show favoritism according to the fairness perspective. And lastly, it is ethically wrong to murder according to the virtue approach.

Advertisement