Ethics research

My ethics research group covered the topic of eugenic sterilization. We focused particularly on the 1927 Supreme Court case Buck v. Bell. In the case, the state of Virginia was seeking to perform asalpingectomy on Carrie Buck, who had mental disabilities. It was an attempt to eradicate mental retardation in future generations. In the official Supreme Court document of the case, Judge Holmes delivers an opinion in which he refers to those with mental disabilities as feeble minded, defective persons, and imbeciles. He hardly refers to them as actual humans.

It is interesting and disheartening to read his entire opinion. He again skirts around the fact these people are humans and justifies their sterilization by arguing they would eventually starve due to their incompetence if they continued to exist. This opinion was upheld by the court.