Events

There is a dangerous idea that has threatened the America Dream from the very beginning. It is a strong current of biological determinism which views some groups, races, and individuals as inherently superior to others and more deserving of fundamental rights. Despite the founders’ assertion that “all are created equal” this idea was used to justify disenfranchising women, blacks and Native Americans from the earliest days of the Republic. “A Dangerous Idea: Genetics, Eugenics, and the American Dream” reveals how this dangerous idea gained new traction in the 20th century with an increasing belief in the concept of an all-powerful “gene” that predetermines who is worthy and who is not. The film reveals how this new genetic determinism provided an abhorrent rationale for state-sanctioned crimes committed against America’s poorest, most vulnerable citizens and for violations of the fundamental civil rights of untold millions. Featuring interviews with social thinkers including Van Jones and Robert Reich as well as prominent scientists in many fields, “A Dangerous Idea” is a radical reassessment of the meaning, use, and misuse of gene science. Like no other film before it, this documentary brings to light how false scientific claims have rolled back long fought for gains in equality, and how powerful interests are poised once again to use the gene myth to unravel the American Dream.

For more information about the documentary, please visit the film’s website.

This event is free and open to the public.

The event is sponsored by the Center for Science and Society’s Research Cluster for Science and Subjectivity.