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Ideas like eugenics or those that promote discrimination based on gender, race, or sexual orientation cause immense damage to society. They create unnecessary divisions between people, often supported by inaccurate or unfounded "scientific" reasoning. While some of the theories on this list have been thoroughly discredited, they continue to have followers worldwide, and in some cases, they are even accepted by the majority of people.
10. Gay Men and Blood Donations
In many countries, such as the United States, France, and Germany, the prohibition on blood donations from gay men is frequently rooted in irrational fears or blatant homophobia. In the 1980s, as AIDS became recognized as a public health threat, laws were passed in the United States that banned blood donations from people considered most at risk of contracting the disease, which included homosexual men. At the time, this was seen as a necessary measure since a large portion of those infected were gay men. Additionally, by 1985, many hemophiliacs contracted HIV through blood transfusions, further supporting this overly cautious policy.
Even today, men who wish to donate blood in the US are still asked the following question: “Since 1977, have you had sexual contact with another male, even once?” While US laws themselves are not inherently homophobic (lesbians are free to donate), they lack a scientific foundation. In fact, heterosexual men who engage in risky sexual behaviors or have received treatment for various STIs in the past year are allowed to donate as frequently as they wish. While homosexual men are statistically at a higher risk for HIV, there are now tests that can detect HIV contamination in blood with 99.9% accuracy just 7 to 10 days after exposure, making a lifetime ban on donations unreasonable.
9. Dysaesthesia Aethiopica
Similar to the more widely known condition of drapetomania, dysaesthesia aethiopica was once thought to be a mental illness that African slaves allegedly suffered from. Referred to by slave owners as "rascality," it was said to cause a severe lethargy of the mind, making the person appear almost in a half-asleep state. This condition was introduced by American physician Samuel Cartwright, who also proposed the theory of drapetomania, and it was often used to explain a slave's perceived laziness, attributed to the alleged deterioration of the slave’s blood.
Additionally, slave owners who were either overly kind or excessively harsh to their slaves were also said to contract this illness. The condition was also claimed to be more common among freed slaves than those still in captivity, and it was suggested that the only way a captive slave could develop dysaesthesia aethiopica was by coming into contact with a freed slave. The supposed "cures" for this condition included stimulating the kidneys, providing good food, and—most commonly—forcing hard labor outdoors.
8. Traditional Chinese Medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is thought to have originated as early as the 28th century B.C., with a figure named Shennong documenting nearly 400 species of medicinal plants. Over the centuries, this list has expanded to include around 1,000 plant species and 36 different animals. The danger of TCM lies in its significant contribution to the harm of endangered species, such as tigers, rhinos, and seahorses, making it a factor in what scientists call the Earth’s sixth mass extinction.
It’s important to note that TCM is not the only culprit. Although China banned the use of rhino horn in medicine in the 1990s, rumors in Vietnam about its supposed cancer-curing properties have greatly increased poaching efforts. The issue with TCM lies in the fact that many of the claimed health benefits of animal parts—such as rhino horn lowering blood pressure or alligator meat preventing cancer—have been debunked through various scientific studies. Therefore, TCM is driving the extinction of many species, offering no real benefit to anyone except for poachers.
7. Pure Blood Theory in Korea
Much like the laws that have influenced interracial marriage in various countries, Korea’s belief in “pure blood” stems from the notion that the nation’s people are all descended from a single ancestor, Dangun, who is said to have founded the first Korean kingdom. Because of this, Korea is thought to have one unified bloodline, which is believed to bond the people together, even through changes in kings and the fall of dynasties. Some historians argue that this idea emerged due to Japanese colonization and the subsequent efforts at forced assimilation.
Additionally, the “pure blood” ideology affects any relationship a Korean might have with a non-Korean. Even simple platonic friendships can result in people facing racial slurs and even violence. In South Korea, where a 2008 survey found that 42 percent of the population had never encountered someone who wasn’t Korean, xenophobia is so deeply ingrained that one man stated he feels as though his own mother has betrayed him whenever he sees a Korean woman with a foreigner.
6. Witchcraft
People might associate witchcraft with the Middle Ages or the Salem Witch Trials and believe that it belongs to a more superstitious era. However, the belief in witchcraft continues to cause harm today. Accusations of witchcraft, often directed more at women than men, can be deeply rooted in religious beliefs.
Since no solid evidence can be presented, many “trials” rely on unreliable (or deceptive) eyewitness testimony or forced confessions, frequently extracted through torture. For example, in 2013, a woman in Papua New Guinea was burned alive for being accused of being a ‘sanguma,’ a term for a witch. While this may seem like an isolated incident in a smaller country, many other nations, including Saudi Arabia, continue to punish witchcraft, with penalties ranging from imprisonment to execution. Saudi Arabia even has a dedicated 'Anti-Witchcraft Unit' that focuses on eradicating suspected witches.
5. Biological Determinism
Biological determinism is the pseudoscientific idea that our behavior is strictly shaped by our genetic makeup. While this “theory” raises challenging questions about personal responsibility, it has largely been used to justify racist, sexist, or homophobic actions under the pretense of superiority by those committing the abuse. Modern science generally agrees that our behaviors result from a combination of our genetic predispositions and environmental influences, forming what is known as a phenotype.
Cases of blatant racism are often encountered when considering biological determinism. Take Samuel George Morton, a 19th-century doctor, as an example. He collected 1,000 skulls from various races and measured their sizes. Morton concluded that white people, on average, have larger brains than black people, a notion which slave owners used as a biological justification for the subjugation of slaves. There is ongoing debate about whether there was an actual size difference in the skulls or if Morton’s personal biases led him to perceive a difference that did not exist.
4. Lysenkoism
Lysenkoism is more of a collection of theories than a single idea and was adopted by Stalin due to his affection for Marxism and disdain for fascists, particularly the racially 'pure' Nazis. Trofim Lysenko, a relatively unremarkable agronomist, gained prominence by claiming that he could significantly increase wheat yields through a process called ‘vernalization.’ Though this was not a new theory and the increase in yield was marginal, Lysenko was heralded as a hero and granted considerable influence over Soviet scientific endeavors.
Another widely rejected concept Lysenko supported was Lamarckism, a theory of hereditary evolution. Initially proposed by a French biologist, it was later adopted by Russian scientists and renamed Michurianism. This idea suggested that an organism could pass on traits it learned during its lifetime to its offspring. Unfortunately—or depending on your perspective, fortunately—Lysenkoism stifled Soviet scientific progress for nearly three decades. It wasn’t until 1965, long after Stalin’s death, that Lysenkoism was officially abandoned.
3. Phrenology
Phrenology, a pseudoscience closely tied to biological determinism, involves the study of skull shape and size and their supposed impact on an individual’s mental faculties and personality. Developed in the late 18th century by Viennese doctor Franz-Joseph Gall, phrenology enjoyed widespread popularity, even into the 20th century. The primary beneficiaries of phrenology were slave owners, who used it to justify slavery by claiming that Africans were too unintelligent for anything other than forced labor.
One common belief among phrenologists was that Africans had an enlarged brain region that made them naturally more submissive. Charles Caldwell, a prominent figure in Kentucky during the 1800s, argued that: “They are slaves because they are tameable.” Ironically, phrenology was also adopted by abolitionists, who argued that the gentle nature of slaves meant they wouldn’t resort to violence if freed—a sentiment that many slave owners feared.
2. Telegony
Telegony, widely dismissed as harmful superstition today, was once a widely held genetic theory dating back to Aristotle. It proposed that a person’s heredity was shaped not only by their biological father, but also by any other men with whom their mother had relations. The term 'telegony' comes from the Greek word for 'far offspring,' and even Charles Darwin believed in its existence.
In truth, telegony served as an excuse for those advocating female virginity and opposing interracial relationships. The Nazis also adopted this belief, asserting that if a pure Aryan woman had relations with a non-Aryan man, she would no longer be able to have a 'pure Aryan baby.' Telegony is related to the concept of 'maternal impressions,' where the activities of the mother were believed to influence the traits of her offspring. For example, epilepsy was once blamed on a mother falling while pregnant, and bed-wetting was thought to result from walking over a water-filled ditch.
1. Polygenism
Monogenism, a widely accepted theory of human evolution, asserts that all humans trace their origins to ancestors who lived in Africa tens of thousands of years ago. In contrast, polygenism holds that different races, particularly whites, evolved separately and are distinct species. This theory, much like the Bible’s use to justify slavery in America, was employed to oppose interracial marriage. It also supported the institution of slavery, although many religious Southerners rejected it on biblical grounds.
Samuel George Morton, a prominent figure in biological determinism, also championed polygenism. Despite his Quaker beliefs that opposed slavery, he viewed black people as a separate species due to perceived racial differences. Many scientists supporting polygenism claimed objectivity and may have even opposed slavery, yet their research was clearly tainted by racial biases, often advocating for rigid segregation between whites and blacks.
