Degeneration vs. Progeneration Science and Pseudoscience

Cultural Origins of Degeneration Theory Jean-Jacques Rousseau: degeneration of the aristocracy as moral, political, and social critique: aristocracy mannered, decadent, effeminate, immoral, diseased European Romanticism -- association of madness and artistic creativity -- infatuation with Romantic science and pseudosciences: physiognomy and phrenology

Psychiatric Origins of Degeneration Theory: Benedict-Augustin Morel (1809-1873) Worked on theory of degeneration 1839-1857, publication of theory dominated French psychiatry for 100 years Argued that mental illness and social deviance hereditary: acquired traits fixed in germ plasm Described 4-stage progression of generational degeneracy No specific pathology passed on; rather, susceptibility of nervous system to disturbances Identified dementia praecox, in 1908 renamed schizophrenia

Influence of Morel’s theory Interest in how toxic substances (alcohol) affect progeny -- fetal alcohol syndrome Established foundation for research in eugenics, the improvement of human (or a given race or ethnic group) by means of control of fertility (Nazis) Many mental illnesses have hereditary component, albeit genetic

Literary Origins of Degeneration Theory: Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) Son of dissolute actor and consumptive actress, genius, alcoholic, drug addict, syphilitic Short stories portraying crime, obsession, madness, and delusion Fall of the House of Usher Interest in pseudo-sciences, phrenology and physiognomy Ignored in U.S., extremely popular with French literary avant-garde

Heirs to Poe’s literary degeneration Charles Baudelaire, poet, literary critic, first modern poet -- advocate of art for art’s sake, author of Les Fleurs du mal Fyodor Dostoevsky, Poe favorite American writer, roman-feulliton (crime, mystery)

Heirs to Morel’s degeneration theory: Cesare Lombroso (1835-1909) Founder of Italian School of Positivist Criminology Popularized idea that criminality is biologically determined, that criminals had devolved, evolutionary regression Born criminal identified by atavistic stigmata that could be detected and measured Believed that whites most evolved Women less criminal because more passive

Max Nordau (1849-1923) Simon Südfeld Social critic, Zionist leader Entartung (Degeneration), 1892 argued that civilization itself was degenerating Moral and social critique of bourgeois rationalist aimed at conduct, morality, art of new avant-garde Freud first to challenge degeneration theory Irony: Jewish proponents, Nazi adherents