Darwin's unpublished letter at the Bradlaugh–Besant trial: A question of divided expert judgment

摘要: Abstract We examine the competing views of two sets “experts” in a historical context, Bradlaugh– Besant trial 1877. The case was ostensibly about what constituted “obscenity” and whether, specifically, republishing book at low cost that contained information on contraception, obscene. Behind lurked larger questions: whether natural selection yielded felicitous results humans; and, supposing it did not, might be done to improve upon unimpeded selection? “failure” said occur because people chose pursue happiness as opposed perfection human race issue advisable have unrestricted access how limit births. Some experts, including Charles Darwin, feared became widely available cost, would used by wrong sorts individuals not others, so salutary effects suspended. Others, like Besant, Bradlaugh J. S. Mill, advocated wide order mitigate misery associated with unwanted births extreme poverty.