Eugenics (; from
Greek εὐγενής
eugenes "well-born" from εὖ
eu, "good, well" and γένος
genos, "race, stock, kin") is a set of beliefs and practices that aims at improving the
genetic quality of the
human population. It is a
social philosophy advocating the improvement of
human genetic traits through the promotion of higher rates of
sexual reproduction for people with desired traits (positive eugenics), or reduced rates of sexual reproduction and
sterilization of people with less-desired or undesired traits (negative eugenics), or both. Alternatively, gene selection rather than "people selection" has recently been made possible through advances in gene editing (e.g.
CRISPR). The exact definition of
eugenics has been a matter of debate since the term was coined. The definition of it as a "social philosophy"—that is, a philosophy with implications for social order—is not universally accepted, and was taken from
Frederick Osborn's 1937 journal article "Development of a Eugenic Philosophy".