198 THE CONTROL OF LIFE 



§ 3. Spencer's Generalisation as to Individuation 

 AND Genesis 



Herbert Spencer, after a prolonged argument, reached 

 the conclusion that genesis decreases as individuation 

 increases ; the two are in inverse ratio. Individu- 

 ation means complexity, fuUness and freedom of life. 

 The tapeworm with its degenerate body and drifting 

 life of ease has its millions of embryos ; the golden 

 eagle with its complex body and controlled hfe has 

 two eaglets at a time. It must be noted, however, 

 that what Spencer really showed was that the inverse 

 ratio between individuation and genesis is an evolu- 

 tionary result, a fact of observation ; he did not prove 

 that high individuation directly lessens fertihty. Per- 

 haps it does, but that has not been proved. The fact 

 is that we know very Httle regarding the physiology 

 of fertihty. Statements as to the infertihty of men 

 of great abihty (illustrating inborn individuation), or 

 as to infertihty being the result of changes in the physi- 

 cal and mental education of girls (illustrating acquired 

 individuation), are to be regarded with great scep- 

 ticism. We know that high nutrition of ewes before 

 breeding season greatly increases the number of twins, 

 but we dare not say that luxurious hving in Man either 

 increases or decreases fertihty. 



What the evidence from the animal kingdom shows 

 is this, that when birds, for instance, evolved big brains 

 and strong parental instincts, it became possible for 

 them to survive with much smaller famihes. We must 



