Episode · Behind the Bastards · 2026-09-15
Books mentioned on Part Three: Francis Galton: Inventor of Eugenics
Robert explains how Francis Galton helped invent modern forensic science while looking for ways to be more racist, as well as continuing his weird fetish of 'measuring' attractive women. Sources: https://www.
Robert Evans discussed English men of science: their nature and nurture by Sir Francis Galton, Hereditary Character and Talent: As Found Originally in Macmillan's Magazine in 1865 by Francis Galton, Hereditary Genius by Francis Galton, 12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup, Inquiries Into Human Faculty by Francis Galton, and Inquiries Into Human Faculty and Its Development by Francis Galton.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
-
English men of science: their nature and nurture
Sir Francis Galton published English men of science: their nature and nurture in 1874 to investigate the intellectual origins, backgrounds, and traits of British scientists.
Discussed“In 1874 he published a new book, English Men of Science: Their Nature and Nurture.”
Where to get it
-
Hereditary Character and Talent: As Found Originally in Macmillan's Magazine in 1865
Discussed“Like here's a segment from Hereditary Talent and Character, published in 1865.”
Where to get it
-
Hereditary Genius
Hereditary Genius by Francis Galton is an 1869 book that attempts to rank people by lettered classes while arguing that human intelligence and success are entirely heritable.
Discussed“Thus, in 1892 when Galton wrote a new preface to Hereditary Genius, he wrote in terms of the question of race where Banton believes he is using race as a synonym for heredity.”
Where to get it
-
12 Years a Slave
12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup is an 1853 memoir documenting the harrowing true account of a free Black man from New York who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in the American South.
Discussed“Solomon Northup published his account 12 Years a Slave in 1853.”
Where to get it
-
Inquiries Into Human Faculty
Inquiries Into Human Faculty is a pioneering 1883 book by Francis Galton that explores various aspects of human psychology, heredity, and anthropology.
Discussed“In another one of his books, Inquiries into Human Faculty and Its Development, in 1883 published in 1883, he wrote,”
Where to get it
-
Inquiries Into Human Faculty and Its Development
Inquiries Into Human Faculty and Its Development by Francis Galton is an 1883 scientific text that explores human heredity and introduced the foundational concepts of eugenics to the public.
Discussed“In another one of his books, Inquiries into Human Faculty and Its Development, in 1883 published in 1883, he wrote,”
Where to get it
