Family and Society 



The advantages of family life are so many 

 that we have no time to mention more than a 

 few, and so clear that a long study is unneces- 

 sary. The children are insured food, shelter, 

 and protection; healthy growth, and physical 

 well-being. The child has the advantage of all 

 the experience of his parents, and of many gen- 

 erations of his ancestors, as this experience is 

 handed down by tradition. The use of articu- 

 late speech and language broadened and clarified 

 human thought and conception. Most impor- 

 tant of all, in the close bond of the family mu- 

 tual competition is replaced by mutual helpful- 

 ness. A large amount of energy which had been 

 worse than wasted is now utilized for the com- 

 mon good. 



Natural selection is not prevented by the fam- 

 ily; probably its effectiveness is little, if any, de- 

 creased. But the mode and final result of the 

 process are greatly changed. Always in the 

 end only healthy individuals can survive. The 

 better conformed to environment will have a 

 great advantage. But there will be a selection 

 of families as well as of individuals. The most 

 firmly united and best regulated families will 

 In the end outlast and " outpopulate " Inferior 



47 



