2 THE FAMILY AND THE NATION 



But, in our wise and beneficent search for better 

 conditions of life, we must not forget the other influence 

 which, even more than environment, goes to make 

 personality. To improve the conditions in which life 

 is passed, and by which it is moulded, is but part, prob- 

 ably by far the smaller part, of the problem. The 

 deeper question, the conscious solution of which is 

 opening out to all civilized nations, is how to maintain, 

 and if possible to improve, the innate quality and 

 character of the life itself. 



The power of heredity is an old story. " Family 

 likeness," " family characteristics," " family temper " 

 are expressions which convey ideas well known to all 

 men. Yet with amazing inconsistency we have taken 

 little if any account of such knowledge in our conduct, 

 little if any in our theories of social and political life. 

 We have talked and acted as though it were of no 

 account how men were bred, or what classes of the 

 community were reproducing themselves fastest and 

 what declining in number, as long as each individual 

 was enabled by improved conditions to pass his brief 

 lifetime in increased comfort and security. 



The average quality of a race is but the average 

 quality of the individuals composing it. By changes 

 in environment, by modification of economic factors, 

 we may alter the average qualities of the people, not 

 only indirectly by improving the conditions of life, but 

 directly also, by varying the rate at which different 

 classes or sections of our folk bring children into the 

 world. It becomes more and more clear that the 

 groups and associations formed by men are not artificial, 

 not mere matters of chance, but correspond to real 



