INTRODUCTION 



"THE JUKES" has long been known as one of those 

 important books that exert an influence out of all pro- 

 portion to their bulk. It is doubtful if any concrete 

 study of moral forces is more widely known, or has pro- 

 voked more discussion, or has incited a larger number 

 of students to examine for themselves the immensely 

 difficult problems presented by the interaction of " hered- 

 ity* with "environment.' 



Its achievement, moreover, is attributable to the 

 qualities of the work itself, as much as to the unusual 

 nature of its subject matter. It is not too much to say 

 that when the first edition of "The Jukes" was pub- 

 lished, it was the best example of scientific method ap- 

 plied to a sociological investigation. Mr. Dugdale was 

 no closet philosopher. Neither did he depend upon data 

 gathered for him by other men. He went himself into 

 the field, asked his own questions, and got concrete im- 

 pressions at first hand. Then, analyzing his materials 

 and drawing inductions, he kept strictly within his data. 

 He had no hypothesis to verify, no theoretical antagonist 

 to throw down. His mind was intent on discovering 

 the truth, whatever it might turn out to be, and presenting 

 it completely, clearly, and simply. 



His readers have not always been so ingenuous, cer- 

 tainly not always so cautious. An impression quite 

 generally prevails that "The Jukes" is a thorough-going 



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