62 Recent Literature. [ZOE 
The writer combats the view that the non-inheritance of educa- 
tional culture is a bar to future progress. He goes even further 
‘and considers that it is a positive boon to humanity that such cult- 
ure cannot be inherited. In order to do this he is obliged to take 
a most uncompromisingly pessimistic view of the present. ‘‘If it 
is thought,” he says, ‘ that this non-inheritance of the results of ed- 
ucation and training is prejudicial to human progress, we must 
remember that, on the other hand, it also prevents the continuous 
degradation of humanity by the inheritance of those vicious prac- 
tices and degrading habits which the deplorable conditions of our 
modern social system undoubtedly foster in the bulk of mankind. 
Throughout all trade and commerce lying and deceit abound to 
such an extent that it has come to be considered essential to suc- 
cess. No dealer ever tells the exact truth about the goods he ad- 
vertises or offers for sale, and the grossly absurd misrepresentations 
of material and quality we everywhere meet with have, from their 
very commonness, ceased to shock us. Now, it is surely a great 
blessing if we can believe that this widespread system of fraud and 
falsehood does not produce any inherited deterioration in the next 
generation.’’ There are many who would disagree with Mr. Wal- 
lace as to the universality of evil at the present day. Surely there 
is much less of evil now than in even comparatively recent past his- 
torical times. But even granting all that he requires of us, there 
must, according to his own views, be a time in the future when good 
will preponderate, at which time it will be as great a disadvantage 
that acquired virtue cannot be inherited as it now is an advantage 
that acquired vice cannot be. Yet another objection. According 
to the writer's views, the evil which he deplores in the present must 
be innate and due to the inherent properties of the germs, in which 
event it must be as easily transmitted, or indeed far more easily, 
than could an acquired character. This evil in man’s nature which 
he sees may in fact be fostered by pernicious social institutions, but 
it must exist before it can be fostered, and if acquired characters 
cannot be inherited it must be inherent in the organism. 
It may be of interest to inquire what Mr. Wallace considers to be 
the real factors of future progress. There are two such factors, he 
says. “ The one is that process of elimination already referred to, 
by which vice, violence and recklessness so often bring about the 
early destruction of those addicted to them. The other, and by far . 
