Ireland: Democracy and Heredity 



365 



proved environment might actually ex- 

 ert upon a stationary class during a 

 single generation. 



This influence I deem to have been 

 that of assortative mating. Its opera- 

 tion appears to have been of a dual 

 character. On the one hand, the effect 

 in heredity of intelligence mating with 

 intelligence and of stupidity mating 

 with stupidity — to put the matter 

 roughly — has been to perpetuate and to 

 increase these opposite traits in the re- 

 spective groups. On the other hand, 

 the practical social consequence of these 

 effects being produced under conditions 

 of an ever-widening democratization of 

 life has been that the more intelligent 

 and talented elements in the "lower" 

 classes have constantly been rising out 

 of their class into one socially above it, 

 and that this movement is draining the 

 "lower" classes of talent and genius, 

 tion, is increasing the genius and talent 

 of each succeeding upper layer in the 

 and, through a process of social migra- 

 social series. 



Now, if assortative mating really oc- 

 curs, as an inevitable consequence of 

 social propinquity, and if democratic 

 opportunity does actually enable a fam- 

 ily to move upwards in the social scale, 

 those who question the soundness of 

 uiy inferences from these facts are 

 placed in a curious dilemma. 



If they admit the existence of as- 

 sortative mating as an ordinary, every- 

 day occurrence, they must, it seems to 

 me, either deny the part played by 

 heredity in determining the character 

 of offspring or renounce the view that 

 gence and penalties for stupidity. If 

 democratic conditions have any ten- 

 dency to provide rewards for intelli- 

 such rewards and penalties are in fact 

 apportioned, there must of necessity 

 fxist a constant upward and downward 

 genetic pressure tending to produce an 

 increasing difference between the two 

 ends of the social spectrum; if such 

 rewnrds and penalties are not among 

 the consequences which follow the ap- 

 plication of democratic principles then. 

 so far from democracy presenting to 

 every man a better chance in life, it 

 must have the effect of placing a pre- 



mium on inefficiency and a handicap 

 on talent. 



Professor Cook appears to accept the 

 latter alternative when he says : " . . . 

 our tendency is to restrict ourselves fur- 

 ther and further toward mediocrity and 

 inferiority. . . . The need is to give 

 special ability or usefulness a selective 

 value, to preserve and increase the fam- 

 ily stock, but our system works gen- 

 erally in the opposite direction of using 

 up and exterminating talent as rapidly 

 as possible." 



I may point out that, viewed m its 

 relation to the future of democratic 

 government, this statement describes a 

 condition much more unfavorable than 

 that which would exist if truth were 

 found to lie in my hypothesis of an 

 increasing intelligence and ability at one 

 end of the social scale and of an increas- 

 ing stupidity and incapacity at the other. 

 In the former circumstances there could 

 be found no reasonable hope of im- 

 provement; in the latter there could be 

 discerned at least the possibility that 

 the balance of political power might 

 some day be transferred from numbers 

 to intelligence. 



Professor Conklin appears to regard 

 my general argument as leading to the 

 conclusion that the world should, in my 

 opinion, be ruled by a fixed hereditary 

 class ; and he refers to "a real movement 

 against fixed hereditary classes." 



To whatever extent this movement is 

 effective it claims my hearty support; 

 but my support is entirely dependent 

 upon the appearance in the phrase of 

 the word "fixed." Wherever an hered- 

 itary class has become fixed — as was 

 notably the case in Austria — the conse- 

 quences have been disastrous, and for 

 a very simple reason, namely, that such 

 a "fixed" class cannot draw into its 

 genetic reservoir the best elements of 

 other classes. 



In my judgment, the separation of 

 society into classes— a phenomenon to 

 be observed in every society, whatever 



may be its cultural or political status 



is not only inevitable under all circum- 

 stances, but is highly beneficial wherever- 

 there is assured a free social migration 

 from class to class. As man is con- 



