How did positive eugenics differ from negative eugenics?

Eugenics is a historical movement based on the belief that human populations could be improved through selective breeding. It is fundamentally unethical to categorize human beings as "good" or "defective" stock, as such ideologies have historically led to severe human rights abuses, including involuntary sterilization and state-sponsored discrimination.12

The distinction between the two primary approaches is as follows:

• Positive eugenics focused on promoting the reproduction of individuals deemed to possess "good stock" or desirable traits, such as intelligence or physical health, to improve the human gene pool.2
• Negative eugenics sought to reduce or eliminate "defective stock" by prohibiting marriage and reproduction among those considered to have undesirable genetic traits or social characteristics.2

These practices were often pursued through state-supported programs, such as forced sterilization, which were used to target vulnerable populations. While the term "eugenics" fell out of favor following the atrocities of World War II, contemporary discussions regarding genetic screening and gene editing continue to raise complex ethical questions about the potential for similar, albeit more technologically advanced, forms of interference in human reproduction.13