author
C. P. (Charles Paton) Blacker
1895–1975
A decorated First World War officer who later became a psychiatrist, he moved from military service into medicine, hospital leadership, and public debates about population and mental health. His life joined bravery, science, and controversy in a way that reflects some of the most complicated ideas of the 20th century.
1 Audiobook
Birth control and the state : A plea and a forecast
by C. P. (Charles Paton) Blacker
About the author
Born in Paris on December 8, 1895, Carlos Paton Blacker was educated at Eton and Balliol College, Oxford, where he studied biology. During the First World War he served with the Coldstream Guards, was twice wounded, and received both the Military Cross and the George Medal.
After the war, he trained in medicine and became a psychiatrist. He worked at the Maudsley Hospital and later served in senior roles connected with British psychiatry and hospital administration. Sources also describe him as an active writer whose books included work on birth control, psychiatry, and wider social questions.
Blacker is also remembered for his long association with the Eugenics Society, serving as its secretary for many years. That part of his career makes him a significant but controversial figure, because it connects his medical and policy work to ideas that are now widely criticized.