28 WHAT IS EUGENICS? 



because, amongst other things, it would tend to lessen 

 social and poHtical discontent. 



To illustrate by this analogy how an actual improvement 

 in the breed of a nation takes place, we must imagine as well 

 as we can that all the cards in all the packs are being 

 increased in value. We must also try to imagine that, in 

 consequence, the value of every hand as dealt out is thus 

 increased. Good hands would become better, whilst bad 

 hands would become less bad. But the difference between 

 different hands would not necessarily be affected by any 

 general increase in the value of the individual cards. And 

 by this analogy we see that, though the natural inequaHty 

 between men would be somewhat lessened by the ehmina- 

 tion of all the very inferior types, yet that, as far as we can 

 now see, this inequality is a fact with which human beings 

 will have to reckon for ever. 



The main point to be learnt from what has just been said 

 is, however, that an improvement in the breed of a nation 

 would result in the appearance of more men capable of 

 fiJhng every post needing useful quahties of any kind, whilst 

 the greatest men in the land would be even greater than the 

 greatest of to-day. Such a general improvement in breed 

 should, therefore, be the main aim of eugenics. 



