Page 144 - THE SLOUGHI REVIEW - ISSUE 13

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The concept of eugenics is ancient in origin. The term “eu-geniko”, means “well-born”, of
good descent (eu = good, genos = descent, gender, clan); Plato proposed around 400 BC
to improve the marriage initiation among the upper classes by certain rules to ensure the
continuation of the social order [92].

The early proponents of eugenics in the 19th century, such as David J. Galton, saw it as a
way of improving groups of people. More specifically, groups of people from the upper

strata of society. This selection is based on a biographically characterised origin. In
today's usage, the term eugenics is closely associated with scientific racism. Modern
bioethicists who advocate a new eugenics refer to it as a method of improving individual
characteristics, regardless of group membership.

The idea for a modern project to improve the human population through selective
breeding was originally developed by Francis Galton and was originally inspired by
Darwinism and his theory of natural selection. Galton had read his half-cousin Charles
Darwin's theory of evolution to explain the development of plant and animal species and
wanted to apply it to humans. Based on his biographical studies, Galton believed that
desirable human characteristics were heritable. Darwin, however, strictly disagreed
with this interpretation and elaboration of his theory [93].

So we see from this example that Darwin assumed natural selection, but did not, like his
half-cousin Galton, accept artificial selection according to the specific ideas of
individuals. This is where a modern breeding idea must start!

Even if humans intervene here, it is only to prevent the mating of dissimilar types. In the

case of the Sloughis, however, the sedentary people also mate their Sloughis with those of
the nomads, so that a broad genetic base is created.

However, as we have already explained, the origins of, for example, the Sloughi and Saluki
dog types are to be assessed differently, as the Honourable Florence Amherst and others
have already justified.

Peter Müller tells of the Inuit that they reproduce their Huskies genetically broadly by
bringing the bitch in heat together with several tethered males, so that the bitch can
make her own choice. According to Cuvier, however, this is the definition of a species,
i.e. a natural reproductive community with free choice of mate.