Journal of Law and Political Economy

High-profile pronatalist supporters of reproductive genetic technologies have thrust these technologies into the national spotlight in the US, reprising questions about the relation between reproductive biotechnologies and eugenics. This article develops the concept of neoliberal eugenics to reframe common understandings of this issue. Neoliberal eugenics refers to the way that neoliberalism facilitates eugenic logic and outcomes through a framework of “choice.” The article draws on scholarship in disability justice and reproductive justice to articulate the limitations of choice before analyzing specific new reproductive genetic technologies and their political economy. The concept of neoliberal eugenics also reveals the flaws in judges’ reasoning in decisions about reproductive technology and eugenics. In short, the article argues that we need a new theory of neoliberal eugenics to understand the burgeoning reproductive biotechnology industry. That theory must consider political economy, especially the rise of financialized capitalism.