What concept did Plato advocate regarding offspring?

• A. Survival of the fittest
• B. Nurture over nature
• C. Selection of spouses for desired traits
• D. Random genetic drift

Answer: (C)

Plato advocated for the concept of selecting spouses for desired traits, emphasizing the importance of controlled breeding to produce offspring with specific qualities. This idea is rooted in his vision of an ideal society, where the characteristics of individuals could be enhanced through careful pairing. Plato believed that by choosing partners based on their virtues and attributes, society could ensure that future generations inherited these desirable traits, leading to a more capable and harmonious populace. This concept reflects early notions of genetic selection, recognizing that the traits of offspring could be influenced by the traits of their parents.

The other options do not align with Plato's philosophy. The idea of survival of the fittest is more closely associated with Darwinian evolution. The nurture versus nature debate centers around the influences of environment versus genetics on individual development, while random genetic drift refers to changes in allele frequencies due to chance events in small populations. None of these concepts directly connect to Plato’s ideas about intentional mate selection for the improvement of offspring characteristics.