Part Two: Francis Galton: Inventor of Eugenics
Summary
This episode of Behind the Bastards introduces Francis Galton, the father of eugenics, highlighting his personal vileness through anecdotes like the death of a young servant and the freezing of monkeys. The hosts discuss his racist views on African peoples, his use of a sextant to secretly measure a woman’s body, and his role in shaping colonialist narratives. They contrast his polygenist beliefs with contemporaries like David Livingstone, noting that Galton’s scientific racism stemmed from sexual obsession rather than genuine inquiry. The episode also touches on the irony of eugenicist Mil…
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