THE FUTURE EVOLUTION OF MAN 267 



this way, provide very largely the materials on 

 which they are fed. How this problem shall work 

 out, time only can decide. With it once worked out, 

 there is no doubt that the level of humanity will be 

 distinctly raised. No other one feature in the pro- 

 gram of eugenics seems more absolutely hopeful than 

 this. 



In several of the states of the Union it has re- 

 cently become the practice to remove the possibili- 

 ties of parenthood from certain classes of criminals. 

 The purpose of this is clear and benevolent. Society 

 has a right to prevent the oncoming of new genera- 

 tions of foreordained criminals. Underlying the 

 practice is the theory that the children of criminals 

 are born criminals. It is far from likely that this 

 is the case. Criminality may be due to a wide range 

 of causes. If the criminal is one of those actual 

 born degenerates whose whole mental and physical 

 make-up is so defective that nothing but criminality 

 can be expected of him, then we have a case in which 

 it is clear that society may, and should, remove the 

 possibility of having more generations of the same 

 kind. Probably only a moderate proportion of the 

 criminals in our jails and penitentiaries belong to 

 this class. Doubtless a distinct majority are crim- 

 inals more through environment than through hered- 

 ity. Born of average ability, or more, these people 



