2025/11/14 by R. Sánchez‐Rivera · 1 voice
paper · doi:10.1093/9780198945246.003.0122
Abstract The appointment of Elon Musk as head of the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) exemplifies the unprecedented and troubling influence that contemporary tech moguls now exert over public policy and politics in Western democracies such as the United States. Musk’s political ambitions are well documented: identifying as a transhumanist (Gebrú & Torres, 2024), he frames his governmental role as part of a broader mission to harness science and technology for human advancement. Yet at the heart of Musk’s transhumanist vision lies a Eurocentric, monocultural, and supremacist ideology, echoing the hyper-conservative policies of the current Republican administration, which has aggressively rolled back Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, LGBTQ rights, and women’s rights since Trump’s return to office in January 2025. Less studied, however, is the role of neo-eugenic ideology in this convergence of transhumanist and far-right political agendas. This article examines how eugenics has resurfaced as a blueprint for contemporary ‘tech-utopian’ and nationalist projects in the West. Drawing on critical eugenic scholarship, this article analyses how tech capitalists and conservative elites deploy eugenic logics as ‘common sense’ solutions to social challenges such as climate change, ‘gender ideology,’ and fears of depopulation. It highlights how ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ eugenic strategies—including genetic engineering, fertility assistance, and forced migration—intersect to construct a ‘fitter’ population deemed better equipped to withstand existential risk. Ultimately, the article argues that eugenics remains deeply embedded in contemporary politics, rebranded alongside technological ‘innovation’ as a magic bullet for global crises. Citation: Sánchez-Rivera, R, ‘Building the “Fitter” Future: Eugenics, Tech Capitalism, and the Politics of Existential Risk’ (14 Nov. 2025), in Evelynn Hammonds, Ebony McGee, and Thema Monroe-White (eds), The Sciences, Medicine, and Technology, in Meena Dhanda (ed.), Oxford Intersections: Racism by Context (Oxford, online edn., Oxford Academic, 20 Mar. 2025 -), https://doi.org/10.1093/9780198945246.003.0122, accessed [date].