Eugenics as a Secular Religion (Public lecture, University of York, 1 October 2015)

Research Summary: Eugenics as a Secular Religion

Topic: Historical and philosophical analysis of eugenics ideology

Speaker: Dr Marius Turda (Oxford Brookes University)

Key Thesis: Eugenics functioned as a secular religion producing meaning and purpose beyond scientific inquiry into population quality

Interpretive Framework: Returns to Galton's conceptualization of eugenics as secular religion through historical methodology, avoiding reductive anachronistic readings

Event Details: Public lecture at University of York, 1 October 2015; Bowland Auditorium, Berrick Saul Building

Admission: Free and open to all

Scholarly Context: Challenges simplistic equations of eugenics as merely anti-Christian ideology by foregrounding its role as a meaning-making apparatus

Speaker: Dr Marius Turda (Oxford Bookes)

Turda Eugenics as a Secular Religion Lecture Flyer (PDF , 286kb)

In this lecture, Dr Turda investigates the interpretation of eugenics as a secular religion. He explores the idea that there is a need to understand eugenics not only as a specialised scientific research into the quality of the population but also as a means to produce new meaning and purpose. This is not to argue that eugenics was a modern secular surrogate for religion, or for a model that defines eugenics as a secular religion simply based on the premise that its ideological content was non-Christian or anti-Christian. What this lecture will propose instead is to return to Galton’s views on eugenics as a secular religion and read them historically.

Directions for the Berrick Saul Building are available online.

Location: Bowland Auditorium, Berrick Saul Building, University of York

Admission: Free and open to all

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