THE TREND OF EVOLUTION 167 



not interfered with, it would lead to the partial or complete 

 elimination not only of the physically unfit but also of those 

 who are mentally and socially unfit. 



Of course man cannot wholly eradicate natural selection 

 from human life; the most monstrous forms cannot possibly be 

 saved and the more abnormal they are the earlier they die; the 

 seriously defective rarely come to maturity or are capable of 

 reproduction and even those that survive and reproduce are 

 usually handicapped at every stage. Natural selection remains 

 and will probably ever remain an important factor in human 

 evolution, but just as far as is possible it is being minimized 

 or set aside in civilized states. In the finest fervor of altruism 

 and with the most extraordinary expenditure of money and 

 effort civilized society manages to save many of those who 

 are feeble in mind and body as well as criminals and enemies 

 of society. And no doubt much of good is gained in this way, 

 for not only are great minds and souls sometimes lodged in 

 frail bodies but it is probably more valuable to the race to pre- 

 serve a spirit of altruism and social justice than it is to rid 

 society of its degenerates by ruthless methods. Nevertheless, 

 neither justice nor altruism requires that such persons be per- 

 mitted to propagate their kind; lasting progress cannot be 

 based upon a one-sided development of body or mind; ideally, 

 as well as biologically, life and progress are balanced as it 

 were between many different forces, principles, and ends, and 

 neither physical, intellectual, nor social developments should 

 go so far as to destroy either of the others. 



Galton says, "Our human stock is far more weakly through 

 congenital imperfection than that of any other species of 

 animals, whether wild or domestic." It cannot be doubted that 

 this greater weakness and imperfection is due to failure to 

 eliminate the unfit, but there is no clear evidence as to whether 

 congenital physical degeneracy is increasing or decreasing at 

 the present time. Athletics, physical education, medicine, and 



