EVOLUTION AND HUMAN DESTINY 



insects. While it does not as yet exist in human society, 

 its probable nature can even now be charted. No more 

 than a few generations may separate us from its 

 development. 



The first roots of such a societal reproductive system 

 will grow out of the present necessity for birth control, 

 coupled with an increasing trend in the direction of 

 conscious eugenic selection. The effectiveness of any, 

 at this time practicable, eugenics program is however 

 somewhat limited, not only by the obvious social and 

 ethical problems, but more fundamentally by the 

 underlying genetic difficulties, especially those of rec- 

 ognizing recessive mutations. Furthermore, such a 

 program could at the very best, only prevent perpetua- 

 tion of the least desirable characteristics and to some 

 extent further the transmission of the most desirable 

 ones. After all the bulk of human offspring would still 

 come from the part of mankind endowed with average 

 characteristics. An entirely different situation would 

 prevail, were it possible to sire future humanity from 

 the best fraction of a percent of the human race. 



Progress towards the culturing of human genetic 

 material outside of the human body and success in fer- 

 tilizing such cultures and raising human embryos, will 

 make it possible to utilize only the germ cells of a few 

 selected individuals to perpetuate the entire human 

 species. Once this is achieved, the logical necessity of 

 the needs of the integrating organism, will probably 



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